Cancer Centre for the North goes greener

PRINCE GEORGE – Health care is one of the least environmentally-friendly industries out there, with a long list of items that wind up in landfills, such as latex gloves and masks. But there is a move to reduce that footprint, with Brighdie Davey undertaking a project to eliminate disposable plastic pads.

“Part of my project was to offer alternatives that were, that had a better environmental impact. And part of that was looking at the cradle-to-grave impact of different options. So like reusable pads and then again the blue disposable soaker pad. So the nurses chose to use a dry towel overtop of the moist hot towel instead of the blue pad.”

Davey’s project alone reduced the use of disposable pads by 85 percent, the equivalent of saving 442 litres of gas. Health care is one of the least eco-friendly industries, with the constant use of things like latex gloves and masks and so on. But for Davey, as she now does her job every day, her eyes have been opened.