Case studies
The case studies below demonstrate successful work across Health Boards to redesign surgical tray sets by removing unused instruments and retaining only those required. This has reduced waste, saved time, and minimised the environmental impact of delivering surgical services.
| Tray name | Specialty | Health Board | Hospital | Carbon saving annually (C02) |
| Total knee replacement tray | Orthopaedic | NHS Forth Valley | Forth Valley Royal Hospital | 1.8 tonnes |
| Robotics general tray | Robotics | NHS Lanarkshire | University Hospital Hairmyres | 479kg |
| Breast biopsy tray | Breast | NHS Lothian | Western General Hospital | 627kg |
| Confidential enquiry into perioperative deaths (CEPOD) medium basic tray | CEPOD | NHS Lothian | Royal infirmary of Edinburgh | 460kg |
| Heart value tray | Cardiac | NHS Lothian | Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | 169kg |
| Heptobilliary tray set | Transplant | NHS Lothian | Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | 180.5kg |
| Kidney prep tray | Transplant | NHS Lothian | Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | 61kg |
| Leaned spinal tray | Neurosurgery | NHS Lothian | Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | 1.5 tonnes |
| Major laparoscopic tray | Colorectal | NHS Lothian | Western General Hospital | 20kg |
| Minor laparoscopic tray | Colorectal | NHS Lothian | Western General Hospital | 72kg |
| Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) nephrectomy | Transplant | NHS Lothian | Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | 37.4kg |
| Scoliosis tray | Scoliosis | NHS Lothian | Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | 40kg |