Western NSW Local Health District cuts one million pieces of plastic waste

The Western NSW Local Health District has successfully reduced plastic waste by over one million pieces through various sustainability initiatives. A primary driver of this reduction was the elimination of plastic medicine cups; the district now purchases 1.2 million fewer cups compared to 2024, with the Bathurst emergency department having used none for 12 months.

Other waste reduction efforts include a new medical imaging system used in Bathurst, Dubbo, and Orange that reduced consumables by 40 per cent per procedure, saving $65,000 and 500 nursing hours. Additionally, the district has partnered with supplier Baxter to recycle used IV bags and has implemented a program to collect compression devices. A ‘gloves off’ initiative, which promotes hand hygiene over unnecessary glove use, has already resulted in a decrease of approximately 4,000 gloves in the first quarter of the year.