Prematurity Awareness Month

Inpatient Meals
In the past, patient meals in wards used to consist of cling-wrapped plates, bowls, and cups, along with cutlery enclosed in a plastic sleeve, atop a tray lined with a paper mat. We have since redesigned how we serve meals, now featuring a reusable bento-style box and cup atop a tray, without all the single-use materials. In 2024, we managed to avoid using 36,000 pieces of tray lining, amounting to approximately 3,000kg worth of paper saved.

Old Patient Meal

New Patient Meal

Food Waste
Food waste is an inevitable by-product of patient care, and we manage this by making a conscious effort to recycle leftover food. After mealtimes, our staff purposefully separates food waste from all crockery. It is then collected and weighed before being diverted to our onsite aerobic bio-digestor, which helps to break down part of the organic waste into by-products such as CO₂. Without this recycling, all the food waste accumulated would end up at the incineration plant. We also conduct regular reviews on the types of food being thrown out, collecting patient feedback to improve our menu so as to minimise food wastage.

Operating Theatre (OT) Waste
As seen in the display, the items on the medical cart depict how much waste is generated just from one surgery alone! An average of 70 operations are conducted in a day at KKH, or 25,550 operations in one year. Can you imagine how much waste that amounts to? We try to mitigate that by recycling part of the non-hazardous waste generated. Our OT staff dedicate their time and effort outside their busy schedules to collect, prepare, and sort the waste for recycling, which would have otherwise ended up as general waste.

Desflurane Usage
We discourage the use of products that are known to be less sustainable. One example is the use of Desflurane, an anaesthetic gas. Desflurane generates approximately 18 times more CO₂ emissions than an alternative, Sevoflurane, that KKH currently uses. Given that anaesthetic gases account for almost 3% of the healthcare climate footprint (American Society of Anesthesiologists, 2024), even a simple switch of gas that achieves the same result can greatly reduce harm on the environment.

Old Patient Linen
When patient sheets and garments become unfit for patient use due to issues such as irremovable stains, these are typically discarded. However, at KKH, we try to reduce such wastage by recycling and repurposing these materials after disinfection. For linen that is unfit for any reuse, these end up in the textile recycling bin. Otherwise, for linen that has some reuse value, we try to repurpose it and extend its life cycle, such as converting these to cloths for use in non-clinical settings. Recently, some colleagues have even found creative ways to upcycle the material into lifestyle items, such as sling pouches, bags, cup holders, carriers, and even a bean bag cover!

Items upcycled by KKH staff  

Carpark Lighting

At our carpark, there are approximately 1,000 standard, non-dimming light tubes that run 24 hours daily, consuming an average of 360 kilowatts (kW) a day. Recognising the amount of energy that could be saved, we have been on a search for a solution that proved effective and efficient for our resources.

We found this in the form of smart light fittings that offers a "plug-and-play" solution into existing light housing without rewiring, reducing material and manpower wastage. These smart lights utilise newer LED technology, consuming less electricity while producing more luminance than standard light tubes. Their built-in occupancy sensors effectively detect movements of pedestrians and cars, and the system allows for easy control of functions such as light levels and dimming through an app.

With its higher electrical efficiency coupled with occupancy sensors that switch off or dim lights accordingly, electricity consumption is greatly reduced. While it is a system that is still work-in-progress, our onsite Proof of Concept (POC) assessment testing the feasibility of implementation yielded a 75% reduction in electricity consumption.

Apart from these initiatives, we also engage in staff education, organising sustainability-related events to serve as an encouragement for all to extend sustainable practices in daily life.

Earth Day Event 2024
At our recent Earth Day Event in 2024, we organised a day of interactive activities, with highlights including:

• A live demonstration of our upcoming food composting initiative, an improvement from our existing composting methods.
• Activities booths such as bicycle stations where staff could ride to mix their own fruit juices, cooking demonstration of plant-based menus, and more.
• A competition that challenged colleagues to create artworks using recycled/upcycled materials.
• Staff sharing of green initiatives implemented in their respective departments and work processes.
• Showcase of our environmentally focused in-house catering partner and their efforts that included serving of plant-based desserts, use of reusable and biodegradable utensils, as well as a brief sharing on their food composting methods.

President's Challenge
Partaking in the President's Challenge, OSS organised a pre-loved clothing donation drive, collecting from KKH staff and selling these to fellow colleagues, diverting clothing waste to be reused instead of ending up in general waste or recycling bins.

• Managed to sell close to 550 pieces of clothing, diverting an estimated 178kg of clothing waste from being thrown to the landfill.
• Avoided approximately 2,673kg in CO₂ emissions that would have been generated from purchase of new clothes. This was estimated using an emission factor of 15kg per kg of clothing, an average derived from various life cycle assessments in the fashion industry.
• Managed to raise more than $2,000 for the President's Challenge in the process.

KKH Symposium on Climate Change and Sustainability in Healthcare Settings
An annual symposium, the event educates colleagues on industry-relevant information on sustainable practice. In 2024's event:

• Panel speakers touched on climate change and its effects on human health, carbon management, and food waste management.
• Additional sharing by Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) RemediSG, who hosts an online platform to match near-expiring medicines with NGO Clinics to provide free or highly subsidised healthcare to migrant workers and the needy.
• Sharing by KKH nursing staff on their Quality Improvement (QI) projects, including their recycling efforts within the OT.

Additional Resources
This is how KKH incorporates sustainable practices in its daily operations. Come join us in our quest in making Singapore a greener place to live in!

These are everyday quick tips that you can practice at home or when visiting the hospital.

• Say no to plastic bags and bring a reusable bag instead.
• Opt for reusable cutlery instead of disposable cutlery.
• Recycle properly – sort your waste correctly and drop them into the right bins.

Find our recycling bins at our Eco-corners.