Sustainability is a major concern across the healthcare sector today. However, the desire to reduce waste and minimise the impact we have on the natural world must be balanced with the health and safety of patients and staff. Modern medicine relies heavily on single-use items, plastic, and energy-consuming equipment. Tailoring each area to increase green credentials without compromising quality of care is a priority and a challenge.
A broad concern
NHS service providers are estimated to generate 156,000 tonnes of medicinal waste each year.[i] Reports of pre-pandemic waste generation suggest the NHS was responsible for producing 11,300 tonnes of waste every day, including 2,500 tonnes of plastic waste.[ii] These figures will certainly have changed since then, but they provide an insight into the scale of the challenge faced.
In an attempt to combat the growing problem, the NHS clinical waste strategy was launched in 2023.[iii] The document offers a 10-year pathway to reduce waste generation and improve waste management in order to minimise the volume of products in landfill or energy required for disposal. While directly applicable to NHS providers, it provides a useful framework for private health and dental care facilities to follow as well.
More recently, the Department of Health and Social Care published the Designed for Life roadmap to drive further development in the area.[iv] The initiative promotes a circular approach to medical technology, encouraging reuse, remanufacture and recycling wherever it is safe and appropriate. The goal is to transition away from avoidable single-use products, significantly reducing waste generated and minimising environmental impacts. There is also a spotlight on increasing recycling and reducing the energy needed for waste disposal – currently, around 42% of healthcare plastic waste is incinerated.
Small but mighty
Of course, dental practices are among the many providers contributing to the waste generated across the UK healthcare system. Single-use plastic features heavily in the surgery – one study found an average of 21 such items were used for each procedure performed.[v] This creates in excess of 720 million single-use plastic waste products every year in the UK. Disposal of these items often requires high temperature incineration, which releases carcinogens into the atmosphere. Any items containing PVC also produce acidic gases and are more difficult to recycle.[vi]
Repurpose, reuse
As such, dental practices should be prioritising products or solutions that are fabricated from materials that can be recycled, repurposed, and reused in another life. Current statistics suggest that 37% of all plastic is recycled in the UK, though this includes residential waste too.[vii]
Dental practices can have a positive impact on these numbers by increasing the amount of plastic identified for recycling every day. Waste segregation is important for identifying appropriate items, and ensuring they are collected and treated in the most environmentally-friendly way. HTM 07-01 outlines the best practice colour coding system from the Department of Health, which dental teams should implement to ensure all waste is disposed of in the least energy-intensive way possible.[viii]
Prevention first – as always
The preferable option – in all situations – is prevention at the source. For dental practices, this means making changes to the products used and the workflows employed in order to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated throughout the business. For everyday consumables, this involves switching to providers that offer low or recycled plastic packaging. Where possible, a transition away from single-use plastics will also be important, starting with non-clinical areas of the business for easier-to-implement alternatives.
In the surgery, a significant potential source of plastic waste is bottled water. While distilled water is crucial for the function and longevity of infection control equipment like autoclaves, it should not compromise your sustainability goals. A Reverse Osmosis (RO) water system is an excellent option. The unit available from Eschmann – the experts in decontamination – reliably delivers pure water free from minerals, TDS, bacteria and microorganisms, without the need for any disposable plastic. It also quickly pays for itself, often in less than 12 months: at a cost of 48 pence per litre, it is over three times more affordable than bottled water.*
A material world
Plastic is a necessary evil in modern life. It is also a staple in dentistry and across the broader healthcare industry, providing convenience and safety. However, it is vital that dental teams use plastic items responsibly in order to minimise the impact that waste items have on the environment.
For more information on the highly effective range of infection control products from Eschmann, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk or call 01903 753322
*True at time of publication. Calculations include VAT. Based on 16.6p/kwh with 16 litres daily water usage at £3.28 per cubic metre of water.
Author: Nicky Varney, Head of Marketing at Eschmann
[i] Hospital waste facts. Waste facts. Business Waste UK. https://www.businesswaste.co.uk/waste-facts/hospital-waste-facts/ [Accessed January 2026]
[ii] World Environment Day 2023: Solutions for healthcare plastic pollution. Centre for Sustainable Healthcare. https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/blog-world-environment-day-2023-solutions-healthcare-plastic-pollution/ [Accessed January 2026]
[iii] NHS clinical waste strategy. NHS England. March 2023. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-clinical-waste-strategy/ [Accessed January 2026]
[iv] Design for Life roadmap. Policy paper. Department of Health & Social Care. Updated January 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/design-for-life-roadmap/design-for-life-roadmap–4 [Accessed January 2026]
[v] Martin N, Mulligan S, Fuzesi P, Hatton PV. Quantification of single use plastics waste generated in clinical dental practice and hospital settings. J Dent. 2022 Mar;118:103948. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2022.103948. Epub 2022 Jan 10. PMID: 35026356.
[vi] Martin, N., Sheppard, M., Gorasia, G., Arora, P., Cooper, M., & Mulligan, S. (2021). Awareness and barriers to sustainability in dentistry: A scoping review. Journal of Dentistry, 112, 103735.
[vii] Plastic recycling. British Plastics Federation. https://www.bpf.co.uk/Sustainability/Plastics_Recycling.aspx#2 [Accessed January 2026]
[viii] Health Technical Memorandum 07-01; Safe and sustainable management of healthcare waste. 2022. NHS England. https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/B2159iii-health-technical-memorandum-07-01.pdf [Accessed January 2026]
