“Do no harm” is the standard of care physicians strive for. However, the growing impact of pollution on patients worldwide is driving a critical conversation around health care’s effect on the planet. Few medical conditions are as directly impacted by environmental pollution as those that fall within the sleep and respiratory space. It’s essential to ensure the therapies used to treat these conditions do not inadvertently harm the very environment in which patients live.
Health care significantly contributes to climate change through its sizeable carbon footprint. If it were a country, the health care industry would rank as the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. These numbers underscore the responsibility that all of us—from medical product manufacturers to health care providers to the end users and patients—carry in steering the health care system toward more eco-friendly practices. The future of sleep and respiratory therapy depends not only on medical innovation but also on proactive environmental stewardship to support healthier patients and a healthier planet.
Environmental Impacts
Smog and particulate matter can impair lung function and exacerbate breathing disorders. As respiratory diseases like asthma continue to rise in the United States, environmental pollutants are increasingly suspected as contributing factors. In fact, research links air pollution exposure to both the risk and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This growing body of evidence highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy that prioritizes both health care outcomes and environmental sustainability.
Green Manufacturing
Sustainability must be embedded throughout every step of the sleep and respiratory care process, including the product design, selection of materials, production, device delivery, proper product use and end-of-life device procedures.
More manufacturing facilities are working to minimize environmental pollution by adopting zero-waste initiatives, waste diversion programs and water conservation efforts. Additionally, many are committing to restoring biodiversity in areas surrounding their sites.
To further reduce carbon footprint, global device supply chains can be regionalized, leveraging distribution centers that are closer to the end user. This localization strategy reduces the distance to delivery, thereby helping to lower carbon emissions associated with transportation. Reducing packaging waste should also be a key priority. Distribution centers can also eliminate plastic pallets, bins and totes with eco-friendly alternatives such as corrugated boxes, paper mailers and locally sourced heat-treated wooden pallets.
Together, these changes can contribute to meaningful sustainability gains across the entire manufacturing and distribution lifecycle.
Eco-Friendly Care Delivery
While manufacturers play a crucial role in promoting sustainability, there are several environmentally friendly practices that health care providers can implement as well.
Product recycling and refurbishment programs are one way to encourage sleep and respiratory care device reuse while reducing waste. These programs allow care providers to return used or expired devices for refurbishment or responsible disposal, and for masks and other accessories to be recycled rather than going to the landfill.
The growing adoption of telemedicine also reduces the environmental impact associated with patient travel. In addition, collaborating with durable medical equipment (DME) providers to design products with longer-lasting, modular features—such as devices built for 12 months of use instead of six, or those with replaceable components—can extend the life of products and improve their usability.
The Patient’s Role
Patients can also play their part in advancing sustainability in sleep and respiratory care, especially when managing at-home medical devices such as sleep apnea machines, oxygen concentrators or nebulizers. By choosing energy-efficient devices that are certified for low power consumption, patients can reduce their impact on the environment without sacrificing performance.
They can also regularly monitor device energy use and consult with health care providers about eco-friendly options to further support these efforts. Proper maintenance, including cleaning filters and timely replacement of parts, can ensure that devices operate efficiently and extend a product’s lifespan. Additionally, minimizing single-use plastics by opting for reusable masks and cushions whenever possible, as well as responsibly disposing of plastics according to local recycling
guidelines, helps decrease the environmental burden.
While these actions may seem small, they can make a big difference in enhancing patient health and contributing to a more sustainable health care ecosystem.
Advancing a Healthier Future
Balancing health care innovation with sustainable practices is paramount to shaping a future where people and the planet thrive together. For example, a California study showed a 20% drop in childhood asthma risk following targeted reductions in key air pollutants, illustrating the profound benefits of environmental progress on public health.
The call to action is clear: The entire ecosystem, from medical device manufacturers to health care professionals and patients, must make sustainability a collective priority. Ultimately, caring for the planet enriches patient outcomes, strengthens communities and secures the well-being of future generations.