23 March 2023
Negative pressure wound therapy has seen many new advances within the last few years. One of these being the use of single use NPWT units using disposable AA batteries. The impact of the disposable units upon our carbon footprint is affected by plastic waste and single use batteries, used by many of these units. Typically, the units are disposed of after 7/14/30 days use, through the clinical waste route, with components e.g. dressings being disposed of more frequently. Extended sustainability commitments laid out in the NHS Long Term Plan, range from reducing plastics and water consumption, through to improving air quality and a net zero carbon commitment. Medical waste disposal is costly and impacts upon the annual budgets of health care providers and has an environmental impact, any initiative to reduce waste within the NHS is aligned with the NHS plan. Disposing of batteries poses a particular challenge as these cannot be burned and should be disposed of by specialist companies.
Most single use disposable NPWT units contain large amounts of plastic, which take centuries to break down. AA batteries are often found in land fill, and this leads to leaching of multiple chemicals into the ground causing catastrophic damage to the environment.