Waste Not

Two former students have been closely involved with this project where Calvary and St Luke’s partnered with GreenMed, to recycle single-use plastic wrap used to cover surgical instrument trays and returning it to the health sector in the form of new, remanufactured products.

Calvary Hobart Director of Mission Tony Brennan (SVC student 1977-82, SVC staff 1989-96) said staff had advocated for more sustainable programs within the hospital for years, but the pandemic had stymied efforts to adopt them.

"There's so much waste that goes to landfill that comes out of this hospital, and right across the hospital, nurses and hospital assistants, everybody wanted to make a difference," Mr Brennan said.

After years of working as a registered nurse, Brenton Lovering (SVC 1998-99) faced an unavoidable truth of the job — the health sector has a problem with plastic waste.

From sterilisation wrap to utensil packaging and medical gowns, most plastic items used in a medical setting are sent to landfill or incinerated to avoid contamination.

"As a nurse, I'd always accepted the waste as part of clinical care, and many of my colleagues would resonate with that message," Mr Lovering said.

"It was accepted that you just bag up the waste and away it goes — and that's all in the name of outstanding clinical care."