Green endoscopy: A review of strategies for sustainable practice

In the last 50 years, gastrointestinal endoscopy has evolved rapidly with increasing indications of use for both diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. However, it has also contributed to a significant carbon footprint and healthcare-related climate change. Endoscopy is a high-volume specialty in the United States, with an estimated > 22 million endoscopies performed annually. Therefore, it has also, unfortunately, become the third-highest generator of healthcare-related waste, with an estimated annual emission of 85768 metric tons of carbon dioxide. It is estimated that a single endoscopy session may generate more than 2 kg of waste. At the level of physicians, administrators, industry, and humanity, reducing healthcare-related waste has become one of the significant challenges currently faced. The ultimate professional goal should be to raise awareness, educate, start initiatives to reduce medical waste and perform research to make endoscopy more sustainable. These applications will lead to the establishment and promotion of environmentally friendly practices with standardized metrics to reduce the carbon footprint of gastrointestinal endoscopy.