Sustainable Urine Collection Units

Nurses across the South West of England are pioneering a more sustainable approach to patient care by trialling an eco-conscious alternative to traditional urine sample collection.

The device, known as the Pee-in-Pot (PiP), is crafted from renewable materials like bamboo and sugar cane. By replacing the standard setup, PiP removes four components from the typical collection process. Unlike traditional plastic bowls that require incineration, PiPs are maceratable, meaning they can be safely flushed away, significantly lowering their environmental impact. In fact, they’re estimated to be seven times more eco-friendly than the standard plastic sterile bowls.

If adopted more broadly across the NHS, this switch could lead to a carbon reduction of three tonnes per year—equivalent to the electricity consumption of six average homes.

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