NSLHD Staff Secure $50,000 to Drive Greener Surgical Practices
Nurses Stephanie Besley and Erin Foulsham are turning the district’s surgical theatres green by reducing waste. The pair has been awarded a $25,000 grant through the NSW Health Sustainable Futures Innovation Fund as part of their work as the districts Net Zero leads. The project, Reusable Innovation for Greener Instrument Delivery (RIGID), aims to reduce the environmental footprint of Kimguard sterilisation wrap, a blue, moisture-resistant material widely used to sterilise surgical instruments. While highly effective, Kimguard is made from single-use, non-biodegradable polypropylene, making it a significant contributor to healthcare waste and carbon emissions. Across NSLHD’s three sterilising services, Kimguard generates approximately 13 tonnes of hard-to-recycle waste and 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
financial case: “With a unit cost of $843.23 and avoided wrap and tape costs of $1.84 per cycle, cost neutrality can be achieved after around 460 sterilisation cycles. Given a 20– 30 year service life, the long-term financial, environmental and operational benefits are substantial.” Made from aluminium with 12.5 per cent recycled content, the containers eliminate the need for repeated plastic use while providing a more robust and reliable sterile barrier system. “Reduced tray failures could enhance instrument availability and streamline perioperative workflows - leading to improved patient experience with fewer delays and cancellations, shorter fasting periods, and greater confidence in their care, particularly for high-volume surgical lists where disruptions disproportionately affect vulnerable groups,” Erin added.
NSLHD has matched the $25,000 grant with an additional $25,000 investment, enabling the initiative to be expanded across the entire district. The project proposes introducing reusable rigid sterile containers to replace Kimguard wrap for high-use instrument trays. These containers can reduce packaging waste by up to 95 per cent and generate less than half the carbon emissions of Kimguard over approximately 5,000 cycles. “The project will test a proof-of- concept deployment of reusable containers within our clinical environment,” Erin said. “This pilot will assess safety, operational fit, cost, and environmental performance within NSLHD’s existing governance, infection prevention, and CSSD workflows.” Stephanie highlighted the strong
Net Zero leads Stephanie Besley, Operating Theatres Clinical Nurse Consultant, and Erin Foulsham
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