Stryker – Supporting Sustainable Surgery Through Smarter Waste Management

Making sustainable procurement decisions is essential on the journey to net zero. But to make meaningful progress, we need data to determine whether an intervention truly reduces environmental impact.

In the context of surgery and the operating environment, the environmental footprint – especially from waste – is significant. Operating Theatres (OTs) can generate up to 70% of a healthcare facility’s total waste¹. The Green Theatre Checklist² offers guidance to reduce this impact by focusing on reviewing, rationalising, reducing, reusing, replacing, and avoiding unnecessary interventions.

Orthopaedic procedures, which are common in the NHS, often require surgical fluid suction. Stryker, a supplier on the NHS Supply Chain framework for Total Orthopaedic Solutions 3, offers the Neptune Waste Management System – a closed-loop solution for surgical fluid disposal. This system collects, transports, and disposes of waste fluid efficiently, protecting staff from exposure and improving OT efficiency. It eliminates the need for traditional suction canisters and wall-powered suction systems.

While it may not seem like an obvious sustainability intervention, improving OT efficiency and reducing waste and single-use consumables can significantly contribute to carbon reduction.

During surgery, clinicians manage fluids in and out of the patient. Traditionally, this involves multiple canisters that fill quickly and require frequent changes. These canisters pose spill risks, create slip hazards, and increase cleaning time between procedures.

The Neptune system replaces this with a single machine that suctions and stores fluids during surgery. These fluids are later safely disposed of via the hospital’s waste system, reducing manual handling and contamination risks.

Stryker has piloted the Neptune system in the UK and Europe and is actively working to quantify its sustainability co-benefits. These include:

• Reduced waste disposal volumes.
• Elimination of single-use consumables (for example canisters, liners).
• Reduced cleaning time and materials.
• Faster OT turnover, improving patient throughput.

These improvements not only enhance the surgical environment but also have the potential to reduce carbon emissions. However, it’s essential to compare these benefits against conventional methods and assess the full life cycle impact of the equipment.

Stryker commissioned an externally verified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with Green Cycle (Netherlands), comparing Neptune to traditional canisters. The LCA covered the full life cycle – from raw material extraction to disposal – and included both high and low-fluid volume procedures.

The findings? For procedures involving five litres or more of fluid, Neptune demonstrated a lower CO₂ impact than conventional systems. This is largely due to the significant reduction in disposable materials and treated waste weight.

NHS Supply Chain is keen to explore these findings further with Stryker, including pilot site data and LCA methodology.

Stryker’s Neptune Management Waste System is available within our Medical Technology category. Flexible options are available, including consumable-based models that are often preferred over outright purchase. 

See our Useful Links section for more information, including contact details for the Medical Technology team.

If you have any questions relating to sustainability, please contact