February 5, 2025
Stephen Caron, left, manager of the Peter Lougheed Centre Day Surgery Unit, poses with members of his unit team. Supplied.
Story by Bruce Conway
CALGARY — The Peter Lougheed Centre (PLC) Day Surgery Unit is leading the way among Day Surgery departments in the province in reducing single-use plastic waste and, as a result, is also saving money.
Over the course of one year, the Day Surgery team achieved a 48-per-cent reduction in single-use plastic waste, equating to savings of $1,800 in operational costs annually from the Day Surgery Unit alone.
The waste-reduction initiative launched in December 2023 with a six-month pilot project aimed at reducing the use of plastic cups, lids, straws and belonging bags. Due to its widespread acceptance and positive results, this initiative has become an established practice on the PLC Day Surgery Unit, but also on other units and has even expanded to recycling of other medical devices at PLC.
The journey toward waste reduction began when Day Surgery Unit Manager Stephen Caron identified the staggering environmental impact of the department’s waste production, particularly the nearly 67,000 single-use plastic items generated each year.
Caron and team engaged both staff and patients in the shared goal of reducing waste. This plan included monthly staff meetings, informative posters, and many face-to-face conversations with staff and support departments.
“What has been uplifting about this initiative is how quickly patients and staff got behind it, because it’s the right thing to do,” says Caron. “They understood the importance of waste reduction and this pilot program provided them with a way to contribute.”
This approach not only raised awareness but also cultivated a sense of ownership and responsibility among all involved. The result is an initiative unique to the PLC, as no such program exists in any other Day Surgery unit in Alberta.
The broader goal is to have Day Surgery and other units across the province participate as well. The ripple effect of encouraging a culture of sustainability that extends beyond Day Surgery and influences practices at the zone and provincial level could lead to much greater environmental and economic benefit.
The 48-per-cent waste reduction and cost-savings outcomes are a testament to the team’s ability to lead by example, inspire others, and achieve measurable, sustainable results.
