The concept of the "Green Bloc" or "Eco-responsible Bloc" represents a major and essential step forward in reducing the environmental impact of operating theaters in healthcare facilities. The latter are responsible for approximately 25% of the total ecological footprint of hospitals, which underlines the urgency of such an approach.

In a context of ecological transition that has become a priority, the "Green Bloc" offers concrete solutions such as optimized waste management, significant reduction of energy consumption, and the use of more sustainable medical devices. Its objectives go beyond simply reducing the carbon footprint and include improving the working conditions of healthcare professionals, as well as a direct benefit for patients thanks to a healthier environment.

The Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Normandy plays an important role in supporting this innovative initiative, thus encouraging hospitals to obtain the "Eco-responsible Operating Room" label. This approach illustrates the commitment of health authorities to structured and ambitious sustainable development.

The Origin and Principles of the Green Bloc

What is the Green Block?

Mirroring the ecological challenges in many sectors, the concept of Green Bloc, or "Eco-responsible Unit", arose from the need to rethink hospital practices in the face of environmental issues. Operating rooms are identified as major consumers of energy and producers of waste. Thus, a simple intervention in the operating room can generate as much waste as a family household in a week.

The Green Bloc is based on the idea of promoting eco-responsible actions within operating theaters, by mobilizing a plurality of stakeholders: surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, operating room nurses, and nursing assistants. These teams, organized into "Green Teams", collaborate to deploy targeted and effective initiatives to integrate sustainability into medical practices.

Key principles

• Waste reduction and recycling: Operating rooms account for approximately 30% of a hospital's waste, a quarter of which is non-hazardous waste. The Green Bloc seeks to optimize the management of this waste by promoting reduction and recycling where possible.
• Energy sobriety: Energy consumption is an important lever for progress. The hospitals participating in the project are adopting solutions aimed at saving water and energy.
• Use of ecological products: The use of cleaning products that are more environmentally friendly and less harmful to medical staff is also a fundamental focus.

The objectives of the Green Bloc in the hospital context

The ambitions of the Green Bloc project are commensurate with the ecological challenges encountered today, aiming for a structural transformation of hospital practices.

• Reduction of the carbon footprint: The healthcare sector alone accounts for nearly 8% of the national carbon footprint. By limiting energy consumption, optimizing water usage, and reducing the use of anesthetic gases, the Green Bloc intends to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Improved air quality: Limiting inhaled anesthetic agents, which are often responsible for a significant portion of polluting emissions, is among the priorities. These substances are replaced by ecological alternatives, while ensuring the reduction of waste related to drugs and medical devices.
• Implementation of a reference framework of good practices: The approach consists of gathering and harmonizing the initiatives of the teams involved to establish a lasting reference framework. This will gradually support other hospitals in their ecological transition.

In summary, the Green Bloc project illustrates a desire to combine medical excellence and environmental responsibility, with the objective of reconciling quality of care and planetary needs in an innovative approach to ecological transition.

The implementation of the Green Block in hospitals

Selection and training of "Green Teams"

The success of the « Green Bloc » project in hospitals relies primarily on the mobilization and training of specialized care teams. The « Green Teams » are made up of healthcare professionals who collaborate closely to integrate sustainable practices within operating rooms.

These teams include surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, operating room nurses and nursing assistants, all trained to apply the principles of sustainable development in their daily actions. Awareness programs, accompanied by practical workshops, aim to change behaviors and work habits in depth.

Through this approach, the project aims to establish a genuine culture of environmental responsibility within hospital teams, thus fostering a lasting commitment to these eco-responsible initiatives.

Examples of eco-responsible actions in the operating room

Several healthcare facilities, such as the Toulouse University Hospital and the North Hospital of Marseille, have already adopted a series of concrete measures to make their operating rooms more environmentally friendly. These efforts notably include investments aimed at improving energy efficiency, with a significant reduction in water and electricity consumption.

In addition, these hospitals have implemented the use of ecological cleaning products, which are less harmful to health and the environment. Another major initiative concerns the sorting and recycling of medical waste. Optimized management of single-use plastics and the recycling of metallic waste, such as stainless steel cups, are an integral part of these eco-responsible approaches.

These actions help to reduce the environmental impact of surgical activities while maintaining high standards of care.

The integration of eco-design in medical equipment

Ecodesign represents an essential pillar of the "Green Bloc" project. Hospitals are increasingly turning to certified materials and suppliers to favor reusable solutions over disposable products. At the same time, they are opting for drugs and anesthetics with a reduced carbon footprint.

The sustainable purchasing strategy is also an integral part of this approach. By evaluating the environmental criteria of medical devices according to their carbon footprint, hospitals favor the solutions that are most respectful of the planet. Thus, while preserving the quality of care, this approach contributes to minimizing the ecological footprint of operating rooms.

Environmental and economic impacts

Reducing waste and energy consumption

The "Green Bloc" project plays a major role in reducing waste and energy consumption in hospitals, particularly in operating rooms. The latter, known for generating a large amount of waste, benefit from strict management policies aimed at reducing single-use plastics and recycling medical waste. Such an approach helps to limit the sending of waste to landfills.

In parallel, the hospitals partnering in the project are making targeted investments to increase the energy efficiency of their infrastructures. Key measures include optimizing heating and ventilation systems, as well as putting air handling equipment on standby when operating rooms are not in use. These practices significantly reduce overall energy consumption.

Hospital waste recovery: recycling and reuse

The valorization of waste generated in the hospital is another cornerstone of the "Green Bloc" project. Committed medical facilities are implementing specific channels for sorting and recycling materials from surgical activities. For example, the GH Diaconesses Croix Saint-Simon has developed a dedicated "Green Zone" where waste is sorted according to nine different recovery channels.

Thanks to these systems, a large proportion of waste is recovered and recycled, thus reducing the environmental impact of medical care. In addition, the recovery of halogenated anesthetic gases, well known for their harmful effect on the environment, is encouraged. These gases are treated appropriately to minimize their ecological footprint.

Economic impact: reduction of operational costs

In economic terms, the initiatives of the "Green Bloc" project offer significant financial benefits. Reduced energy consumption, coupled with more efficient waste management policies, enables hospitals to benefit from significant reductions in operating costsparticularly in the long term.

Although initial investments in energy-efficient technologies and recycling systems can be high, the savings realized on energy bills and waste disposal costs more than offset these efforts. In addition, the purchase of environmentally friendly materials and the reduction of drug waste also contribute to lower expenses.

The savings thus generated can be reinvested to improve care services and hospital infrastructure, fostering a virtuous circle combining sustainability and economic profitability.

Challenges and future perspectives of the Green Bloc

Obstacles to Green Bloc deployment in healthcare facilities

Despite the significant advances made by the "Green Bloc" project, a number of obstacles remain and need to be overcome to enable wider adoption. One of the main challenges is the lack of targeted funding specifically dedicated to the ecological transition.

Indeed, healthcare facilities, often faced with budgetary constraints, struggle to allocate resources to environmental initiatives. Furthermore, the governance of healthcare facilities also represents an obstacle. Ecological transformations are not always integrated into the overall strategic directions, which can slow down the implementation of sustainable practices.

Another major challenge is the production of medicines and medical devices outside Europe. These practices, which are responsible for a high carbon footprint, make it even more difficult for healthcare establishments to reduce their environmental footprint. The complex management of these global supply chains limits efforts to reduce their ecological impact.

The Importance of Leadership and Collective Engagement

The success of the "Green Bloc" project largely depends on the strength of leadership and the collective commitment of the care teams and hospital management. At the heart of this mobilization, the "Green Teams" play a determining role. These teams act as true drivers to promote and apply eco-responsible practices on a daily basis.

Strong leadership is essential to support these initiatives. Motivation and involvement at every level of the organization - from caregivers to managers - are essential conditions for instilling a culture of environmental responsibility. Facilities that succeed in spreading these values are those that manage to overcome constraints and move towards more environmentally-friendly practices.

Next steps: towards wider adoption and continuous innovation

The future of the "Green Bloc" project lies in its expansion to a growing number of healthcare facilities, both in France and internationally. To achieve this goal, sharing best practices and deploying them on a large scale will be essential.

The reference frameworks built by the committed teams will play a central role in this accelerated adoption strategy. Added to this is the importance of continuous innovation, through the exploration of new technologies and sustainable materials, or the development of environmentally friendly purchasing strategies.

Finally, it will be essential to establish solid partnerships with companies specializing in eco-design, or in the sustainable management of waste, in order to strengthen the efforts already undertaken. Raising public awareness of these issues is another key lever: educating patients and citizens about the importance of the ecological transition in the health sector will help create a sustainable and collective dynamic around the project.

Conclusion

The "Green Bloc" project represents a major step forward in the ecological transition of healthcare facilities. By acting on waste reduction, optimization of energy consumption, and promotion of sustainable practices, some hospitals clearly demonstrate that health and environmental protection can coexist harmoniously.

Initiatives led by "Green Teams", including the recycling and reuse of medical waste, play a central role in achieving these objectives. It is imperative that all actors in the healthcare sector actively contribute to this approach, in order to reduce their ecological footprint and participate in a more respectful future for our planet.

It is time to act. Together, let's transform our operating rooms into care spaces that are both efficient and environmentally friendly.

FAQ

What are the main pillars and axes on which hospitals base their sustainable development initiatives?

To effectively implement sustainable development, hospitals start from several fundamental axes. The main ones are:

• The ecological pillar: optimized waste management, reduction of single-use devices, active promotion of selective sorting, and launch of initiatives for biodiversity and environmental preservation.
• The social pillar: improvement of working conditions, valorization of human resources, and accentuation of public service missions.
• The economic pillar: integration of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility into overall strategies, eco-responsible management of infrastructure and purchasing, as well as optimization of energy and material consumption.

How do hospitals manage and reduce their waste in the context of sustainable development?

To address the challenges of sustainable development, hospitals are adopting specific measures to manage their waste responsibly. A rigorous sorting system is in place, sometimes with up to 28 streams. These streams allow for the recovery of specific waste such as batteries, metal, and electronic equipment.

For hazardous waste, hospitals prioritize environmentally friendly treatments such as autoclaving or microwave processes, reducing reliance on incineration. Dedicated removal and recycling services are also being developed, supporting hospitals in implementing sustainable practices. Furthermore, through systems structuring responsibilities, waste stream management and disposal become more efficient, allowing for progressive adaptations as needed.

What responsibilities and contributions are hospital workers expected to make in terms of sustainable development?

Hospital staff play a key role in implementing sustainable development. Their main contributions include sorting waste, adopting eco-responsible civic actions, and reducing waste in their daily work. They are also mobilized to integrate environmental issues into their practices and support ecological risk management plans.

Awareness and training in best practices remain essential levers for strengthening this collective commitment. Indeed, these actions promote the active involvement of hospital teams in the sustainable objectives set by their hospital.

What are the specific objectives and measures hospitals need to take to reduce their energy consumption and environmental impact?

As part of compliance with the tertiary decree, hospitals are aiming for progressive reductions in energy consumption: 40% by 2030, 50% by 2040, and 60% by 2050. To achieve these ambitious goals, several actions are necessary:

• Improvement of the thermal insulation of buildings.
• Modernization of heating and air conditioning systems.
• Installation of sub-meters for detailed consumption analysis.
• Renegotiation of energy contracts for more suitable offers.

Technological innovation also plays an important role, particularly through the optimization of equipment and efficient energy management. These combined actions reduce environmental impact while improving the overall energy efficiency of hospital buildings.