The NHS has outlined plans to become the world’s first net zero health service by 2040 (NHS England, 2022). Over the years, the NHS has become less green and more wasteful – usually in the guise of saving time. Then trollies with coffee and tea loaded into plastic cups were introduced; the plastic cups were thrown away after each use. In 2018, the NHS bought at least 163 million plastic cups, 16 million pieces of plastic cutlery, 15 million straws and 2 million plastic stirrers (OHID, 2022). Such practices can lead to infection risks, cause discomfort and are wasteful (NHS England, no date).
