CARBON AND EMISSION REDUCTION
Right: The materials used in FF&E directly affect carbon emissions.
Below: Hygenius said: “Material choice can make a significant contribution towards the NHS’s Net Zero goals.”
Richard
Thomas and Hygenius
Richard Thomas is the managing director of Hygenius. With a deep- rooted background in design and production, he began his career in a small joinery workshop, gaining hands-on expertise in design, manufacturing, procurement, and supply chain management. He says he ‘thrives on
the dynamic challenges of the healthcare industry’, and is passionate about driving innovation to address the industry’s evolving needs, with a particular focus on infection prevention and control. His commitment to delivering exceptional customer service and tailored solutions has been instrumental in Hygenius’ continued success. Founded in 1970, Hygenius provides bespoke joinery, cabinetry, and work- surfaces for primary, acute, mental health and laboratory settings. It claims that its furniture ‘sets new standards’ for risk reduction, infection control, lifespan, and installation ease, ‘not only meeting, but more often exceeding’, the standards set out in HTM 63 and HTM 71 specifications. It says of its FF&E: “Thoughtful design eliminates dirt traps. Smooth, seamless surfaces are easier to clean, and better withstand the knocks of healthcare environments. Robust construction makes for unbeatable whole-life value.”
recently successfully applied for, and been awarded, an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification for our infection control furniture. We applied for certification through the International EPD System, a global programme for environmental declarations. “The EPD process is rigorous, and involves data collection, lifecycle assessment (LCA) analysis, impact assessment, and verification, in order to develop a comprehensive document that provides transparent information about a product’s environmental impact. During the process, our infection control furniture was assessed using a standard clean utility room design. Furniture items in the assessed design included – among others – worktops, cupboards, panels, wall units, and shelving.
“Going through the EPD process demonstrated the significant impact that material choice can have on the carbon emissions associated with healthcare furniture. In one scenario, for example, carbon emissions reduced by 16% when using 12 mm thermoformed acrylic solid surfaces, rather than 40 mm MDF laminate worksurfaces. In another, carbon emissions reduced by 6% when using medium-density fibreboard (MFC), rather than MDF substrate.”
These are significant carbon savings. Do you plan to share this information with your customers? RT: “Yes. Now that we have evidence that the materials used in FF&E directly affect carbon emissions, we can demonstrate that by selecting materials with lower carbon footprints, NHS Trusts can reduce their overall emissions. “We are also working with a sustainability consultant to develop a user-friendly LCA (lifecycle assessment) calculator, which will be made available to existing and prospective customers to help them make more informed purchasing decisions that minimise environmental impact.”
You’ve talked about the impact of material choice on 68 Health Estate Journal February 2025
reducing NHS Trusts’ carbon emissions, but have you also looked at your own carbon emissions? RT: “Yes. As a result of going through EPD certification, we now know our organisational carbon footprint, which was calculated to be 414 tCO2
e (tonnes of carbon dioxide
equivalent) in 2023. This figure takes into account the total greenhouse gas emissions produced directly and indirectly by our activities. The analysis looks at three scopes to categorise emissions: Scope 1 – the direct emissions that occur within our direct control; Scope 2 – the indirect emissions associated with our purchase of electricity, heating, or cooling, and Scope 3 – the indirect emissions that occur outside our direct control, but which are linked to our value chain.
By accounting for emissions from all three scopes,
we have been able to get a more comprehensive picture of our overall environmental impact, and identify opportunities for improvements.
An ‘exciting juncture’ on its carbon journey
Have you put any plans in place to reduce your organisational carbon footprint? RT: “Yes. We are at an exciting juncture in our carbon journey, and are introducing a number of ambitious new initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint. Having successfully achieved EPD certification, we have also developed a carbon reduction plan which sets out the key focus areas for further reducing our carbon emissions. These include upstream transportation and distribution, employee commuting, and electricity purchasing. “We have set out clearly defined, concrete actions against each of these, with steps including optimising deliveries through the use of regional storage locations, contracting haulage companies that use alternative fuels to diesel, incentivising staff car sharing and the use of electric vehicles, only purchasing renewable electricity, installing more rooflights, switching to LED lighting, and installing motion-sensitive lighting where needed. We are also
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