Sustainability is the word for Karratha Health Campus' metal instruments

Karratha Health Campus has developed a unique program for recycling metal surgical instruments past their usefulness.

Single-use surgical instruments are used in theatres and other areas of regional hospitals, particularly where water usage and other associated costs have made disposable the best option.

WA Country Health Service Pilbara Executive Director Lisa Smith said the health service was committed to looking for ways to improve its ecological footprint.

“This is a great initiative which came from the local team themselves designed to help us manage resources and minimise waste.

“This may seem like a small action on its own, but when it comes to developing sustainable health sites, it’s all the great little ideas like this that really add up.”

Karratha Health Campus Clinical Nurse Andrea Foxon said theatre nurses had discussed what they could do to support sustainability efforts, coming up with the clever recycling plan.

“I was aware through my husband’s work in mining that large bins of metal get loaded onto ships and head out for recycling.

“I contacted a local company about adding our small collection to the huge bins of mining recycling and they were more than happy to help us,” Ms Foxon said.

“We’ve set up collection points around the hospital’s various departments.

“Each week, theatre nurses take a small trolley around and collect the used instruments – once they’re clean – and getting them ready for collection by the recycling company.

"It turns out to we’re saving about 40kgs of steel from landfill each and every week.”