A Strong & Sustainable Finish to the Year

Danielle Checketts
Dec 22, 2025
3 min read

As 2025 draws to a close, we are proud to reflect on a year of significant progress and impact.

The past few weeks have been especially productive, and we are delighted to share key highlights, along with a preview of what lies ahead in 2026.

Big News: Heading to Parliament

Eco Ninjas has been invited to Parliament in January, with our first discussion scheduled for the opening week of the New Year. This milestone offers an invaluable platform to demonstrate how innovation and sustainability can reshape healthcare for the better.

Celebrating Somerset’s Success

In March, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s Orthopaedics department became the first in the UK to implement Theatre Badge Hats. The outcomes have been exceptional:

✅ Stronger communication among surgical teams

✅ Improved patient satisfaction

✅ Significant cost savings

✅ Reduced CO₂e emissions

Somerset’s leadership has now been recognised nationally, with the Trust shortlisted for a Patient Safety Award. Their full 8‑page case study and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) are available on our website to support other Trusts in adopting best practice.

Expanding Impact: Swindon’s Inclusivity Initiative

The Great Western Maternity Unit in Swindon became the second department to adopt our product. Building on Somerset’s success, Swindon introduced multicultural hats, creating a powerful impact on inclusivity and patient experience.

• Writable badges proved invaluable in identifying staff, students, and birthing partners.

• Hats designed for different hair types fostered openness and boosted team engagement.

This initiative highlights how thoughtful design can strengthen both inclusivity and clinical effectiveness.

Media Highlights

Our work has been featured this year in BBC Somerset, The i Paper, and West Midlands News, underscoring the innovation and impact of our efforts.

We also contributed articles to the Clinical Services Journal (CSJ) on tackling waste and addressing hierarchies in theatres. Another article published in September 2025 was on human factors and the importance of name badges in healthcare and a with a third article scheduled for publication in February.

Building Partnerships and Scaling Up

2025 marked important collaborations:

Acceptance onto the NHS Propel Programme
Joining the West Midlands Sustainability Network.

These partnerships are paving the way for scaling our products across multiple UK Trusts in 2026.

Sharing Best Practice

In January 2026, we will be recording a video podcast with the Virginia Mason Institute, exploring the origins of Theatre Badge Hats and how sharing best practice accelerates innovation in healthcare.

Conference Highlights

At the Research for Greener Surgery Conference in Birmingham earlier on this week, the Great Hall provided a fitting backdrop for discussions on building a reusable culture in healthcare.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Behavioural change is as vital as process change.

✅ Global insights show successful transitions to reusables across diverse regions.

✅ Academic posters showcased inspiring sustainable projects that could deliver national impact- all available for other hospitals to learn from so they don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

A notable moment came from a Birmingham theatre manager who reported that her team are already using our hats had seen clear benefits: improved communication and elimination of disposable hat waste.

Concerns about home laundering at 60°C were addressed by evidence supporting central laundering as the safest solution. Attendees welcomed the news that our hats are fully compatible with central laundering, removing barriers while ensuring clear identification for all staff, students, and visitors.

The conference reinforced that collaboration and knowledge-sharing are essential to driving sustainable change in surgery.

Looking Ahead

2026 promises to be a landmark year for Eco Ninjas. With ambitious plans to expand our reach, deepen our impact, and continue advancing innovation, we remain committed to building safer, more sustainable healthcare systems.