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Reduce, reuse, recycle (primary care practice)
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MitigationScope 3
Needle Nudger (>0.5 tCO₂e or <1 tCO₂e per primary practice)Climate Impact
Financial Impact
ROIImmediate (Time saver or <12 hours per year to implement)
Implementation Feasibility
Investment
LowTeam Size
Small but mightyTimeline
≤ 6 monthsThe Problem
Clinics generate avoidable waste (exam paper, sharps, packaging).
The Solution
Implement the 3Rs—reduce exam table paper, reuse sharps containers, recycle cardboard and materials.
This solution is featured by Choosing Wisely Canada
“Don't use gloves when hand hygiene is sufficient.”
Gloves are unnecessary for most routine healthcare interactions. Over 100 disposable gloves are used per ICU patient per day. The carbon footprint of a single glove is estimated at 0.026 kg CO₂e, equating to 2.7 kg CO₂e per ICU patient per day. Approximately 500 boxes of gloves emit 2 tonnes of CO₂. (Cardiology Rec. #10; Critical Care Rec. #6; Internal Medicine Rec. #18; Hospital Pharmacy Rec. #11; Pharmacist Rec. #11)
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This solution is featured by the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care
Learn more about this solution in the Coalition's Green Health Care Guidebook.
Implementation Experts
Suggest a resource
Toolkit
Green Office Toolkit (2025 Edition PDF), Circular Economy Model for Hospital PPE and Medical Single-Use Plastics, Gloves Use Reduction GHG and Waste Calculator (Excel), Biohazardous Waste GHG Savings Calculator (Excel), Reusable Food Containers GHG and Waste Calculator (Excel), Historical Coalition Recycling Best Practices Guide (PDF), CASCADES Medical Waste Policies Playbook (PDF)
Tool / Resource
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