This webinar focuses on infection prevention and control (IPAC) strategies related to reusable medical devices and equipment as part of the “reusable first” webinar series. Experts discuss how proper cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization are essential to maintaining patient safety while reducing environmental waste. The session emphasizes the importance of clear protocols, staff training, and collaboration between infection control and sustainability teams to support safe reuse practices in health care settings.
This webinar, the fourth presentation in the “Reusables First” series, explores lessons learned from unsuccessful attempts to implement reusable products in healthcare settings. It highlights challenges such as increased workload, logistical complexity, and difficulty meeting staff needs. Speakers present case studies including reusable metal spoons, zero-waste yogurt containers, and reusable surgical textiles. Across organizations, common barriers included delays, loss of momentum, inconsistent stakeholder buy-in, and the lack of early cost analysis. The session emphasizes that sharing failures is important for helping other sustainability leaders avoid similar pitfalls and improve future implementation of reusable healthcare practices.
To help organizations measure and maximize these benefits, the CASCADES Virtual Care Carbon Accounting Tool (VCCAT) supports the estimation of travel-related carbon and financial impacts associated with virtual and in-person care. Combined with thoughtful implementation strategies, equitable access planning, and sustainable technology practices, virtual care can play a meaningful role in building a lower-carbon healthcare system
This tool will calculate: 1. The total carbon emissions saved from patient travel averted to and from your facility (in metric tonnes of CO2e) 2. The cost savings to patients from patient travel averted to and from your facility, including the cost of transit fare, gas, insurance, vehicle wear and tear, and parking (in Canadian dollars) 3. The total carbon and financial costs of in-person patient visits to and from your facility (in metric tonnes of CO2e) 4. The carbon and cost savings associated with virtual visits at various percentages of total visits (forecasting)
Did you ever wonder what reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 1 million metric tons means in everyday terms? The greenhouse gas (GHG) equivalencies calculator can help you understand just that, translating abstract measurements and emissions data into concrete terms, such as the annual emissions from cars or households. There are three options for entering reduction data into this calculator: You can specify an energy amount using the controls appearing in the first tab You can specify an amount of a particular greenhouse gas using the controls appearing in the second tab You can specify a quantity of greenhouse generating items using the controls appearing in the third tab
The following table provides a general list of groups that need to be involved for the successful planning, design or delivery of food infrastructure for planetary health projects; it is offered as a working draft or a guide for you and your teams to upgrade together.
