Environmental sustainability in dermatological surgery

Abstract

The health and social care sector have a substantial environmental impact, accounting for 6.3% of England's carbon footprint 1 . In view of this, clinicians must ensure all aspects of clinical practice take environmental sustainability into account. Surgical procedures play a significant role in dermatological practice and are particularly energy and resource intensive. This article discusses a range of behavioural, procedural and structural interventions, which could help minimise the environmental impact of dermatologic surgery, categorised according to the 5 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink and Research.