Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Healthcare

One Trainee-Led Project at a Time

TRASH-CAN stands for Trainee-Led Research and Audit for Sustainable Healthcare Canada

Healthcare produces a significant amount of waste and has a large carbon footprint.

Our goal is to reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint of healthcare while upholding the highest standards of patient care.

Why TRASH-CAN?

There is a major gap in residency training with respect to Planetary Health and it can be difficult for trainees to implement initiatives within their institution.

We want to create an environment where trainees of all levels can come to our website with a project idea and we can connect them with faculty to help design, implement and measure the impact of their idea.

Our Pillars

  • Learning

    We promote the review and implementation of peer-reviewed literature on environmental sustainability in healthcare.

  • Leadership

    We help connect trainees at all levels with faculty to help design, implement and measure the impact of their ideas. We collaborate with other institutions to share knowledge and best practices.

  • Delivery

    We lead various QI projects that focus on reducing waste in any area of healthcare.

“Climate change is undermining every dimension of global health monitored, increasing the fragility of the global systems that health depends on, and increasing the vulnerability of populations to the coexisting geopolitical, energy, and cost-of-living crises.”

—The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change

We are always looking for support and trainees who want to get involved.

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