Omnimed Helps Endoscopy Units Meet Green Endoscopy Goals for a Greener NHS, with Their Greener Together Education Sessions
At a time where endoscopy units and hospitals are looking to implement greener practices, Omnimed have stepped up to support their customers in building knowledge of greener practices within endoscopy, helping them work towards achieving Green Endoscopy and Greener NHS goals.
During 2024, over 80% of Omnimed’s customers who responded to their customer survey about Green Endoscopy expressed an interest in educational sessions focussed on green practices in endoscopy and support needed to meet Green Endoscopy and Greener NHS goals. With endoscopy being the third highest waste producing department in the NHS1, the Omnimed team were keen to quickly respond to these findings and give endoscopy units some much needed support.
At the start of 2025 Omnimed launched their new initiative, Greener Together. Greener Together encompasses free Green Endoscopy educational presentations, knowledge-sharing, and community building, and covers a range of issues from conducting more sustainable procedures, to reducing product packaging and carbon saving delivery.
Omnimed’s Green Endoscopy presentations have been delivered to hospitals across the UK throughout 2025 by Omnimed’s Commercial Manager, John Wood, often alongside Omnimed’s Eco Supply Chain Assistant, Ben Lonsdale. John and Ben have completed IEMA Certified Net Zero training, along with the rest of the Omnimed team.
In partnership with our customers, our role is not only to provide top quality endoscopy accessories but also to support them in choosing and using products in ways that are both clinically and cost effective as well as being conducive to meeting Green Endoscopy goals. Once we became aware of the knowledge gap many clinicians felt they had with Green Endoscopy and their desire to learn more in this area, it was only right that as a responsible ISO 14001:2015 certified supplier we stepped up and offered our customers the support they need.
Having achieved our ISO 14001:2015 certification for Environmental Management Systems in November 2024, we were keen to further demonstrate our commitment to Green Endoscopy to our customers, and this was the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Omnimed’s Green Endoscopy presentations are delivered in situ at UK hospitals or remotely if required. The presentations are discussion focussed and are geared towards participants sharing both the challenges experienced, their own ideas on how to meet Green Endoscopy goals and of course, what Omnimed can do to help.
Omnimed uses this opportunity to collate information on the areas clinicians are finding challenging so they can work on solutions with clinicians and manufacturers. The five R’s of greener endoscopy are also covered in the presentation: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Research, Rethink2.
Where to Start with Green Endoscopy
Change is not always easy, with getting started often being the hardest part. This is why an early portion of the presentation, called Where to Start, is dedicated to how to get going with Green Endoscopy. John says,
This part of the session really gets people to start thinking about how we can all work together to meet the challenges of Green Endoscopy. Omnimed gives delegates some simple ideas on how to get started so we can get building that all important momentum as soon as possible.
By offering delegates clear starting points, the session aims to get the conversation flowing. It helps shift the mindset from “this feels too big” to “what can I do today?”. Once people start to engage, share ideas, and try small improvements, the challenge becomes less overwhelming, and the way forward becomes easier.
Choosing Sustainable Suppliers
Another important part of meeting Green Endoscopy goals involves choosing suppliers that align with these goals. Part of the presentation is dedicated to helping endoscopy units understand and assess how suppliers align with Green Endoscopy goals and covers the process of assessing a potential supplier’s sustainability maturity score against NHS priorities, which signposts their current position and pathway to progress.
This can be one of the most challenging areas of Green Endoscopy as we look to balance patient needs with
environmental impact. John explained,
We discuss how to consider the sustainability maturity score in balance with other clinical and budgetary needs and provide some guidance on how Omnimed offers products and services which help balance these requirements. In addition, this provides an important opportunity for us as a supplier to
take on board feedback about which aspects of procedures and associated endoscopy accessories present the greatest areas of tension between sustainability, clinical and budgetary needs. This helps us gain insight into areas where we can work with manufacturers to make products more sustainable and formulate creative ways to balance the budget too!
Researching the Future of Green Endoscopy
Omnimed conducts research through customer surveys to better understand attitudes towards shaping the future of Green Endoscopy, as well as engaging in conversations to recognise where customers are in their own journey.
Omnimed’s research from customer surveys shows that over 80% of participants said they would choose a greener product, even if it was more expensive. This insight is both encouraging and significant, highlighting a genuine willingness within the endoscopy community to embrace sustainable change.
Buy Less, Buy Better, Buy Different
With the NHS taking a strategic procurement approach to “Buy less, buy better, buy different”3, Omnimed saw this as a critical area to cover during the presentation.
Participants discuss how to adopt this approach by considering switching from single use to reusable products, which enable less purchasing overall and potentially enable a better carbon footprint simply by buying a different product. This discussion encourages delegates to think beyond cost alone, focusing instead on long-term environmental and operational value. It also highlights how collaboration between suppliers and endoscopy units can drive meaningful, measurable change towards a more sustainable future.
Sustainable Packaging
It’s not just about which product you choose to support your Green Endoscopy goals; we also need to think about how those products are packaged, both as individual units and when they are boxed up for shipping.
This is another key area to consider when choosing products and suppliers and is discussed during the session with delegates sharing their experiences and concerns about how to identify sustainable packaging and how they can collaborate with suppliers to make greener choices. Omnimed have been very proactive in this area, and delegates are given real life examples of how Omnimed have taken practical steps to reduce packaging on some of their most popular products. John provided some further details,
In July 2024, following consultation between Omnimed and the manufacturer, BlackEye™ endoscopic tattoo marker transitioned from a plastic inner box to a more sustainable, fully recyclable alternative. To date, this switch has resulted in a reduction of more than 1,363 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). Additionally, the carbon footprint associated with each individual box has been reduced by 81.79%. This substantial improvement demonstrates how thoughtful material choices can provide meaningful environmental benefits without compromising product quality or safety.
We are also beginning to implement starch-based protective packaging across other product lines, with the use of soya-based ink on labels. These small but important changes contribute to a broader shift away from petrochemical-based materials and towards biodegradable, low-impact alternatives.
Reducing Transport Emissions
Omnimed’s logistics team ensure all orders are packaged with care. Where possible we will re-use the manufacturer’s original packaging. Where this is not feasible, the outer transit box is made from lightweight, single-wall cardboard and is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), ensuring the materials used come from responsibly managed forests. John explained,
By ensuring endoscopy teams know what to look for when assessing the environmental credentials of the packaging for endoscopic accessories, they are empowered to make more
sustainable decisions.
Choosing suppliers who maximise recyclable packaging is one way that hospitals can work towards the ‘Recycle’ goal of the five R’s of Green Endoscopy.
Once products are packaged ready for shipping, we need to consider the impact of transportation. Part of responsible purchasing involves making sure we are aware of the impact of getting goods delivered. This is why Omnimed focussed part of the session on how to assess the most suitable delivery method and supplier for the goods required.
Another valuable consideration is the option to order multiple units in a single delivery, which helps contribute to environmental savings by reducing the number of deliveries required. Fewer deliveries mean fewer transport emissions, helping to further lower the overall carbon footprint of acquiring the products. John said,
Omnimed have introduced a number of measures to help reduce the volume of deliveries, such as Omnimed’s Eco Bundles, which are comprised of small groups of products that our customers ordinarily purchase separately for use in the same procedure but are shipped together to reduce the environmental impact of delivery.
Eco Bundles are one way that hospitals can work towards the ‘Reduce’ goal of the five R’s of Green Endoscopy as they help reduce overall waste production.John added,
Omnimed uses DPD as our courier, as they have shown a real commitment into investing into greener technology for a cleaner and more sustainable future. At present, 95% of their heavy goods vehicle fleet runs on biofuels, significantly reducing emissions compared to standard diesel or petrol vehicles. Additionally, over 38% of their final delivery vehicles are electric and the company continues to invest in clean transport solutions4 . By choosing Omnimed, customers are also supporting greener logistics and more sustainable last-mile delivery systems.
Rethinking the Future of Endoscopy
Bringing all the areas covered in the session together, towards the end of the presentation everyone talks through what future endoscopy procedures might look like to meet Green Endoscopy goals. John says,
This is a crucial part of the session as it helps people really paint a picture of how some of both the smaller and larger changes we have covered could be put into practice to collectively make an enormous difference. By helping delegates visualise what a Green Endoscopy procedure will look like, we’re taking one more step towards making this goal a reality.
This exercise explores ways that hospitals can work towards the ‘Rethink’ goal of the five R’s of Green Endoscopy. One area that always generates lively dialogue is at the end of the session when delegates take time to reflect on changes clinical staff have seen implemented to help meet Green Endoscopy and Greener NHS goals. To ensure Omnimed is best placed to support the Endoscopy team in future, they always make sure to ask how well delegates feel their Sustainability Champion has been supported and what they think both hospital teams and suppliers could change in the next three months to make a positive impact.
The sessions have been very well received, with John reporting that,
We’ve had great feedback, with the post-session survey results showing 100% of respondents would recommend the presentation to colleagues, other hospitals or organisations.
This overwhelming response reflects not only the enthusiasm for sustainability across endoscopy units, but also the shared commitment to turning awareness into meaningful action. It shows that when the right conversations are happening, real change is not just possible, it’s already underway.
We are shaping the future of endoscopy and Greener Together.
If you'd like us to present a Greener Together session for your Endoscopy Unit, book your Greener Together visit today.
1 https://www.thejag.org.uk/news/making-endoscopy-greener--guest-article
2 https://gut.bmj.com/content/72/12/2204
3 https://www.supplychain.nhs.uk/news-article/reducing-carbon-impact-through-supplier-collaboration
4 https://sustainability.dpd.co.uk
This article is part of our Green Endoscopy series, where the Omnimed team share updates from our training events, knowledge sharing sessions and community activities focused on sustainable endoscopy. We are Greener Together.