News & Stories' Details

NUH also ramps up recycling efforts in key nursing-led initiative as part of its commitment to achieve a 60 per cent recycling rate by 2030

Photo credit: National University Hospital

SINGAPORE — The National University Hospital (NUH) has become the first hospital in the world to receive the Healthcare Sustainability Certification, a landmark recognition awarded by the Joint Commission International (JCI) in collaboration with the International Hospital Federation’s Geneva Sustainability Centre. The certification follows a rigorous assessment using the Geneva Sustainability Centre’s Sustainability Accelerator Tool, which benchmarks sustainability maturity across environmental impact, health equity, and governance¹.

The certification was announced by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, during NUH Green Day 2025, the hospital’s annual flagship sustainability event highlighting its environmental progress and innovations.

Mr Jeremy Lee, Chief Operating Officer of NUH and Chair of the Sustainability Workgroup leading NUH’s green efforts, said, “Sustainability is not a choice in healthcare. It’s a responsibility and fundamental to our long-term resilience. At NUH, we believe that every staff member, every operating theatre, and every decision can contribute to a healthier planet. This global recognition affirms our belief that care for our patients and care for the planet must go hand in hand.”

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the NUH on becoming the first to achieve our prestigious international Healthcare Sustainability Certification,” said Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International. “NUH’s leadership in accelerating sustainable practices – through performance assessment, strategic prioritisation, and formal governance – sets a powerful example. Their efforts are making a meaningful impact on their patients, community, and the world.”

“NUH’s achievement as the first hospital in South-East Asia to receive JCI and GSC’s international Healthcare Sustainability Certification marks a significant milestone in advancing sustainable healthcare in the region,” said Ron Lavater, Chief Executive Officer of the International Hospital Federation. “This certification reflects not only NUH’s commitment to environmental stewardship and resilient healthcare delivery, but also the strength of the collaboration between JCI and the GSC. Together, we are proud to support hospitals like NUH in embedding sustainability into their core strategies through the SAT – setting a powerful example for others across Asia and around the world.”

Why sustainability in healthcare matters

NUH’s certification reflects its continuous efforts to reduce its environmental footprint in a sector that contributes nearly 5.2 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, while facing increasing health impacts from climate change². Some of these efforts include:

• The plastic-lite campus movement has led to a more than 50 per cent reduction in plastic use at pharmacies, saving around 400,000 plastic bags each year. Phasing out plastic bags for staff deskside bins has also saved an additional 200,000 bags annually
• Move towards more environmentally friendly anaesthetic gases, which cuts carbon emission equivalent to taking over 400 cars off the road
• Optimising air exchange rates in operating theatres, which can reduce energy use by up to 40 per cent without compromising safety

Striving towards net-zero emissions by 2045, NUH has reached close to a 30 per cent reduction in waste and more than doubled its recycling rate in 2024 since 2020.

Recycling better

As part of this year’s Green Day theme – “Recycle Better” – NUH is also committing to the goal of a 60 per cent recycling rate by 2030.

A new nurse-led Sort-at-Source initiative, in collaboration with the Group Hospitality team, aims to boost waste recycling at the source. The project, piloted in three inpatient wards in May 2025, enables nurses to segregate plastic and paper waste on their medication trolley. Early results include:

• 47 per cent increase in paper recycling
• Over 230 per cent increase in plastic recycling

Set to be rolled out across all NUH wards by end-2025, the initiative is estimated to recover close to 24,000 kg of recyclable waste annually.

“This is sustainability in action, led from the bedside,” said Adjunct Associate Professor Karen Koh, Chief Nurse at NUH. “It empowers our nurses to reduce waste and recycle better as part of their routine, without disrupting care. This aligns with our belief of healing our patients while healing the world.”

The Sort-at-Source initiative is supported by the Nursing Sustainability Committee (NSC) at NUH, Singapore’s first nursing group dedicated to sustainability practices in daily operations. The NSC engages and empowers nurses to champion green initiatives and promote the widespread adoption of new ideas towards sustainability in nursing care.

To engage staff, patients and the public, NUH is also rolling out redesigned recycling bin covers supported by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s Singapore Eco-Fund. Aimed at making recycling more intuitive for individuals, the redesigned covers were piloted in 2023:

• Overall recycling compliance jumped from less than 60 per cent to over 95 per cent in just one month
• The bin covers were created by upcycling existing materials, reinforcing a circular economy approach

A shared commitment with staff-led innovations

Nine projects were recognised in the NUH Incredible Care For Our Planet Awards, honouring staff who drive sustainability through daily operations. This year, there are three platinum and six gold awards across 29 entries.

The winning projects include:

• Campus-wide computer shutdown protocol: Auto-power-down of 2,500 desktop computers in outpatient areas during non-operating hours saved 436,800 kWh annually – equivalent to cooling 243 homes daily for a year, with almost $95,000 in savings
• Repacking surgical trays for knee replacements: Reduced CO₂ emissions by 42.3 per cent, saved 151,800L of water, and cut unnecessary tools
• Antibiotic over-prescription overhaul for wisdom tooth surgeries: Brought usage down by 69 per cent, avoiding 14,700 kg in emissions from pharmaceutical production
• Reuse of anaesthesia breathing circuits: Slashed usage by 60 per cent, avoided 5,400 kg in emissions, and saved close to $40,000
• Digital medical report workflows: Eliminated use of over 166,000 sheets of paper per year

Other winning efforts tackled couch paper overuse, green campus cooling with reflective paint and vegetation, smarter HEPA filter replacements, and night lighting schedules that conserve energy.

“Sustainability only works when it includes everyone,” said Mr Lee. “We’re proud to lead the way – and even prouder that it’s our people who are driving this change.”

These whole-of-hospital efforts are aligned with the National University Health System (NUHS) Green Plan Roadmap, which lays out long-term strategies across the public healthcare cluster to reduce waste, cut carbon, and embed sustainability into care delivery and culture.

To download the PDF version of the media release, click here.

¹ The Healthcare Sustainability Certification is based on the Geneva Sustainability Centre’s Sustainability Accelerator Tool, which evaluates organisations against 23 core indicators across emissions, waste, leadership, and governance. Hospitals must submit data for 19 indicators, benchmark performance globally, and complete a virtual surveyor review to validate outcomes. For more information, visit: jointcommissioninternational.org/what-we-offer/certification/healthcare-sustainability-certification-lp/
² Romanello, Marina et al. “The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels.” Lancet (London, England) vol. 400,10363 (2022): 1619-1654. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01540-9