Clinical trials are energy-intensive and contribute are a major contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions from the healthcare industry. According to one estimate, over 350,000 national and international trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov would account for a carbon consumption of nearly 27.5 million tonnes. This is a little under a third of the total annual carbon emissions of Bangladesh, which has a population of around 165 million people!
The Environmental Effects of Paper
Paper products are often overlooked as a contributor to the carbon footprint of the clinical trial industry. Clinical trials rely heavily on paper-based systems and the use of paper has a significant impact on the environment by increasing deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, managing the large amounts of paper used in clinical trials results in an increased financial burden. Hence, the clinical trial industry has progressively been moving towards paperless clinical trials.
Reducing the Environmental Impact of Clinical Trials
Clinical.ly provides advanced electronic solutions for clinical trial sites that want to shift to paperless trials. We take pride in the fact that through our efforts, the negative impact of clinical trials on our environment is reduced.
Take the example of one of our customers who found that by using our services, they saved around 156 trees over the course of a single year, as they did not have to print 1.3 million pages of study documents, including informed consent, financial disclosure forms, protocols, source documents, and case report forms.
You can play a part in mitigating the environmental burden of clinical trials. Contact us today and take the first step in reducing your carbon footprint!