The Environmental Impact of Dialysis
Dialysis has a considerable environmental footprint. According to UMC Utrecht, the carbon footprint of a dialysis patient is approximately eighteen times higher than that of an average patient.
Each treatment requires items such as a dialyzer, bloodlines and various plastic components, many of which are designed for single use. As a result, the dialysis department at UMC Utrecht generates around 17.5 tonnes of waste every year.
Water consumption is another important factor. Approximately 2.4 million litres of water are purified annually for dialysis treatments, a process that also requires substantial energy.
Small Changes Can Deliver Significant Savings
The Green Team Dialysis has already introduced several measures that are producing measurable savings.
One example is the central preparation of dialysis concentrate. According to UMC Utrecht, this change has reduced CO₂ emissions associated with this part of dialysis care by 58%.
The way dialysis machines are operated has also been adjusted. By switching off the machine between preparation and the actual start of treatment, water consumption can be reduced by approximately 15%, without affecting the patient’s treatment.
These examples demonstrate that making healthcare more sustainable does not always require major technological breakthroughs. Significant improvements can also be achieved by critically reviewing existing processes and everyday working practices.
Smarter Use of Bicarbonate Cartridges
Another area currently under investigation is the bicarbonate cartridge. This plastic cartridge contains powder that is used during dialysis treatment. After treatment, the cartridge is discarded even though some of the active material may still remain.
The team is therefore exploring several ways to reduce its environmental impact. One possibility is using a larger cartridge for multiple treatments. Another is reducing the amount of water used so that the powder can be used more efficiently.
Options for reusing or recycling the cartridges are also being investigated.
Could Dialysis Filters Be Reused?
Looking further ahead, the team is also considering whether some products currently treated as disposable could safely be reused. Dialysis filters are one example.
International research and practice have shown that filters can, under certain circumstances, be safely reused for the same patient. In Europe, however, many of these products are currently marketed and approved for single use.
Researchers and UMC Utrecht’s Central Sterile Services Department are therefore investigating how reuse could potentially be introduced in a safe and responsible way. Patient safety, regulatory requirements and quality of care would remain essential conditions for any such development.
Sustainable Healthcare Requires Collaboration
Making dialysis more sustainable is not the responsibility of a single profession. Within the Green Team Dialysis, nurses, doctors, researchers, technicians and students work together to develop and test new solutions.
According to UMC Utrecht, nephrologist Karin Gerritsen also plays an important role in driving innovation and research projects. Funding and grants help turn ideas into practical studies that can be tested in a clinical setting.
This collaboration is essential. Sustainable healthcare is not simply about using less. It is about using water, energy and materials more intelligently while continuing to provide high-quality and safe patient care.
High-Quality Care With a Lower Environmental Impact
The initiatives are part of a broader challenge facing healthcare. The purpose of healthcare is to help people live longer and healthier lives, yet healthcare itself also has an environmental and climate impact. Climate change, in turn, contributes to new and worsening health problems.
The team at UMC Utrecht is therefore working to combine high-quality dialysis care with a lower environmental footprint.
Their experience also shows that healthcare organisations do not always need to wait for major innovations before taking action. Measuring environmental impact, questioning established routines and working together to identify alternatives can already produce tangible results.
Five Lessons for More Sustainable Healthcare
The experience of UMC Utrecht’s Green Team Dialysis also provides useful lessons for other healthcare departments:
- Work together through a Green Team or bring together colleagues who are interested in sustainability.
- Start by measuring your impact. An environmental or waste assessment can help identify where the greatest improvements can be made.
- Review the materials you use. Consider whether less material, an alternative product, reuse or recycling may be possible.
- Question established routines. Examine whether protocols and everyday practices can be made more sustainable without compromising quality or safety.
- Share knowledge and experience. Healthcare departments do not all need to reinvent the wheel. Sharing successful approaches can accelerate progress across organisations.
Sustainable healthcare is ultimately the result of many individual improvements. UMC Utrecht’s approach demonstrates how meaningful reductions in water, energy and material use can be achieved when sustainability becomes part of everyday clinical practice.
Original source: UMC Utrecht, “Dialyse UMC Utrecht: zuinig met water en materialen”, published 3 September 2026. Read the original article from UMC Utrecht