Environment

Within Stockholm County Healthcare Services, we strive to minimise our environmental impact.

Our environmental work is performed within the framework of Region Stockholm’s Environment Programme 2017-2021. This programme features a number of target areas, of which we are affected by the following:

Sustainable pharmaceutical supply chain

We shall reduce the environmental impact of the production, use and disposal of pharmaceuticals by increasing the efficiency of our management of pharmaceuticals.

One of the main reasons for the disposal of pharmaceuticals is that they have passed their best-before date. By increasing the efficiency of our management of pharmaceuticals within the healthcare system, and by avoiding the unnecessary purchasing of pharmaceuticals, we can reduce the need for disposal, thereby reducing the environmental impact of both the production and distribution stages.

Link text: Read more about good examples here.

Efficient management of textiles, and reduced environmental impact from the use of single-use and multi-use textiles

We shall conduct activities that contribute to an improved turnover rate, reduced waste and reduced abnormal disposal of our staff and patient clothing. In this way, we will reduce the need for the new production of these garments.

The average environmental impact of the production of 1 garment involves:

  • 2,700 litres water consumption in the cultivation of cotton
  • 150 g chemicals in the production of textiles

In addition, we shall only use single-use textiles where these are not required due to reasons of patient safety.

Sustainable patient meals

We shall impose sustainability requirements in the procurement process (e.g. animal welfare and low use of antibiotics), increase the proportion of organic and locally produced foodstuffs, and reduce the climatic impact of our patient meals. We shall also reduce our food waste.

The food issue is complex and extends across many areas, such as the climate, a toxin-free environment, biodiversity and the fight against global resistance to antibiotics. By increasing the proportion of organic foodstuffs, we will contribute to a more environmentally sustainable form of agricultural production. One of the positive environmental effects is that this will contribute to both the protection of biodiversity and the preservation of natural resources.

Public transport and other forms of transportation

We shall increase the proportion of renewable fuel used in our transportation.

Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges to have faced humankind. It is therefore of the utmost importance that we reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. By reducing emissions, we can limit the growth of the greenhouse effect and the formation of ground-level ozone.