A Greener Heartbeat

By Grace Lim

Sustainability in healthcare begins with providing high-quality patient care while reducing the impact on the environment. Putting the principles of ‘reducing, reusing, and recycling’ into our daily operations is Team HeartBeat.

The Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory (Cath Lab) is one of the more resource intensive areas in the hospital, generating a significant amount of daily waste through items such as single use electrophysiology (EP) catheters and guidewires used in minimally invasive heart procedures.

For the longest time, issues such as inconsistent waste segregation and limited recycling infrastructure had hindered green efforts, that is, until Team HeartBeat came together to implement a practical yet sustainable solution.

(Left to Right) Members of Team HeartBeat: Ting Qi Yue (Senior Assistant Manager, ALPS-NHC Non Pharm Procurement), Tina Teo (Assistant Director, Nursing, Cath Lab), Goh Sye Lin (Senior Nurse Manager, Cardiac Clinics), Joshua Chia (Assistant Nurse Clinician, Cath Lab), Ng Siok Peng (Chief Nurse (Designate)),  Moe Moe Myint Thu (Senior Staff Nurse, Cath Lab), and Asst Prof Jeffrey Lau (Senior Consultant, Cardiology). Not pictured: Joo Wei Bing (Assistant Manager, Cath Lab) and Tee Zi Wei (Assistant Director, Finance).

Led by nurses, together with members from ALPS, Finance and Cardiology, the team leveraged on none other than their years of healthcare experience to implement a standardised recycling workflow applicable to staff and vendors. The initiative focused on recovering platinum, a valuable material from EP catheters used in the Cath Lab, repurposing clinical waste into a useful resource. Supported by internal training and clear guidelines, the workflow outlines each step of the process, from cleaning and sorting used devices to packaging and shipping for recycling overseas.

The pilot run of this initiative in November 2025 saw about 10kg of items being shipped. More recently, the team shared that approximately 200 catheters are now sent for recycling each month.

Preparing used catheters in the Cath Lab for recycling.

As a result of diverting waste from landfills, the Cath Lab has reduced from approximately fifteen to ten bins of general waste per week, and three to two bins of biohazard waste biweekly. These generates around $3,614 per annum in waste disposal savings. Through this initiative, the team also discovered that recovering platinum through recycling produces much less carbon emissions than extracting platinum directly – 1,500 to 3,500 kg CO2 equivalent as compared to 40,000 kg of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of platinum.

Beyond numbers, the team’s efforts have paid off in other ways. Through staff engagement and clear workflows, the team worked across various departments to foster consistent compliance to standardised waste segregation, resulting in a more efficient and streamlined process. In addition, the standardised approach also had the downstream effect of decreasing the housekeeping team’s workload by simplifying waste handling, allowing them to dedicate more time to maintaining a safer and cleaner environment in the Cath Lab.

“Sustainable healthcare is about finding smarter ways to provide care. When green efforts are integrated into our daily work, we can reduce waste, improve efficiency, and create a positive impact for our patients”, remarked Assistant Nurse Clinician Joshua Chia, Team Lead of HeartBeat.

The success of this initiative demonstrates how nurse-led projects can drive meaningful and sustainable change in healthcare by providing a practical model for eco-friendly clinical practices. With such promising results, the team plans to expand their initiative to include guidewires and intravascular ultrasound catheters.

Kudos to Team HeartBeat for leading the way for a greener and healthier future for all!