Old operating theatre clogs that are still usable are washed, to later be used by visitors such as vendors handling equipment, visitor surgeons or observers like students and trainees, who need to wear clogs for infection-control purposes.
Worn-out clogs are dropped into the hospital’s textile recycling bin. Located at SKH’s Green Corner on Level 1, staff, patients and visitors can pop used clothes or bags in good condition into this bin, to be donated to charity. Since its introduction in January 2023, the hospital has donated 8,804 kg of textiles.
SKH uses reusable wares for all operating theatre staff meals as well as for 20 per cent of event catering. Disposable bento boxes used to take up three or four bags of trash per meal service period but has now been reduced to just one bag.
One of the hospital’s biggest sustainability efforts is its food waste digester system. Assoc Prof Tan told CNA Women that food waste constitutes 11 per cent of total waste in Singapore. And, with 4,500 meals prepared daily at the hospital, approximately 13,800 kg of food waste was generated monthly in 2023.
Food waste digesters installed in the central kitchen break down food into wastewater. This significantly reduces waste sent for incineration as it can now be washed down the drain. Not only is it environmentally friendly, it also improves hygiene and cleanliness, while reducing odour and pest issues.
Food safety is also enhanced by minimising cross-contamination risks, as kitchen staff don’t need to handle the food waste digester.
THE BOTTOM-UP AND TOP-DOWN APPROACH
Instilling a culture of sustainability has been the key to the hospital’s success, said Assoc Prof Tan.
“Our committee looks at big ticket items – such as the timing of our lighting, when to raise the aircon temperature and how we can repurpose things – but when it comes to what’s in each department, it’s the people who work there who see it best,” said the 53-year-old.
Assoc Prof Tan also serves as co-chair on the Committee on Sustainability (CoS) in SingHealth. She said that while there is some scepticism about sustainability from the healthcare industry as a whole, “it is largely the lack of awareness of what we can do and how we can change in practice – and this is not unique to healthcare”.
“In the last two years, there has been a concerted effort as a healthcare group to do more,” she said.
