SUSTAINABILITY
Case study: Sustainable switch boosts hygiene
Hospitals are under growing pressure to balance patient comfort with sustainable and cost-effective solutions. Jonas Fribo-Søndergaard, Sustainability expert at Silentia, explores how reusable privacy screens offer a hygienic, eco-friendly alternative to traditional curtains, improving both infection control and patient dignity. By reducing operational costs and supporting efficient workflows, these types of equipment changes helps healthcare facilities create safer, cleaner, and more sustainable care environments.
Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen replaced 260 disposable curtains between patient beds with an eco-friendly alternative from Silentia. It took six weeks from initial contact to complete the installation, and the modularity of the screens means they can be transferred to new hospital buildings in the future. For Iben Tousgaard, a nursing consultant in the quality
and training unit, replacing the disposable curtains in Bispebjerg Hospital’s patient rooms with Silentia screens was an easy decision. Tousgaard sits on the hospital’s environmental
committee, which is always on the lookout for measures that might help the Danish region achieve its ambitious
2030 climate targets, with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 50 per cent compared to 2022. “We work on the basis of a ‘stairway to sustainability’ consisting of three steps: we must use less, use things for longer, and use them in a more eco-friendly way. With a service life of at least 10 years, the Silentia screens are a perfect fit for step two, as they can be used for longer compared to disposable curtains,” she says.
Carbon savings Iben Tousgaard has previous experience with the Silentia screens and knew she could vouch for both their quality and hygiene benefits over disposable curtains, which are typically only changed every three months and can become contaminated with bacteria as a result. “Quality and hygiene are decisive factors in opting for Silentia, and the CO2
savings were
the icing on the cake. We prefer to invest in sustainable solutions, and these screens can last for many years and be transferred to our new hospital. They are also manufactured locally in the Nordic region, so there are quite a few climate-related details at play here,” says Iben Tousgaard. Tousgaard also highlights their
aesthetic benefits, which contribute to social sustainability at the hospital. “The screens are a lot more pleasing to the eye than the disposable curtains, and, unlike the latter, daylight can penetrate over the top of the screens, which is beneficial for the patients.
January 2026 Health Estate Journal 77
Equally, a member of staff does not have to take a stepladder into the room to change the curtains – so we avoid inconvenience to patients and staff alike,” she explains.
Price incentive Silentia’s calculations show that payback for the screens is achieved in three years when compared to the price of disposable curtains and the staff costs associated with changing them.
Below: Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
Bottom: Silentia’s privacy screens create a hygienic and patient- friendly environment while supporting efficient hospital operations.
All photos: Carsten Andersen
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