Ramsay Newsroom

After swapping out 25 million single use plastic items for more environmentally friendly alternatives in the 18 months to January 2022, the private hospital operator committed to doubling that number by the end of the year. 

Ramsay has now set its sights on removing a total of 75 million single use plastic items by the end of December 2023.

Ramsay Health Care Australia CEO, Carmel Monaghan, said she was extremely proud of the effort made by Ramsay teams around the country to ensure the lofty target was achieved. 

“Ramsay Health Care is committed to making meaningful, tangible changes to improve the future of the planet,” Ms Monaghan said. 

“Our teams around the country worked hard to ensure we reached this incredible milestone, suggesting small changes that will make a big difference.

“We started with the basics – including crockery, straws and cutlery, and through suggestions from our people we’re now operating with more sustainable anaesthetic and injection trays and utilising reusable medicine cups, as well as many other small, but significant substitutions.

Removing single use plastic items is part of the organisation’s ‘Ramsay Cares’ sustainability strategy, which underpins the company’s long-term commitment to the wellbeing of its people, communities and the planet. 

Another important initiative has been to replace single use plastic water bottles with jugs of water and glasses. 

“This particular Ramsay project began in 2019 and saves an incredible 6 million plastic water bottles per year from ending up in landfill. This is in addition to the 50 million other plastic items,” Ms Monaghan said.

Reducing carbons emissions is another priority, with 23 Ramsay sites so far installing solar panel systems, and more scheduled for 2023. To date, more than 2,660kw of solar panel systems are operating at Ramsay sites saving more than 61,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over their lifespan. That is the equivalent of removing 1,288 new cars off the road. 

Additional carbon emissions are also being saved through the upgrade of more than 23,300 light fittings across 23 sites to energy efficient LED lights. The equivalent of removing an additional 1,960 new cars off the road. 

Sixteen Ramsay Australia hospitals are working to create ‘greener operating theatres’ by removing the anaesthetic gas desflurane, reported to have more than 20 times the global warming potential of alternative gases and instead switching to more environmentally friendly options.

Ramsay sites are also currently taking part in PVC and aluminium recycling programs and are continually investigating other ways to improve their sustainability. 

In 2022, Ramsay Health Care announced its global commitment to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by the year 2040.

Ramsay’s Net Zero strategies include switching to renewable energy sources and maximising energy efficiency, reducing anaesthetic gas emissions, cutting waste and boosting recycling, embedding sustainable design in new facilities and upgrades, as well as engaging with suppliers to reduce supply chain emissions.