COTTON wool buds and disposable plastic cups will no longer be used by staff on a neonatal unit.

Staff at the Sub Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Centre (SuRNICC) at Glan Clwyd Hospital decided to stop using the items after being inspired by the recent drive to curb the use of disposable plastics.

The issue of reducing plastic waste moved to the forefront following shocking footage in BBC documentary Blue Planet II, which showed the deadly impact unrecycled plastic has on marine life.

The documentary showed how waste plastics were polluting the seas and the environment, releasing chemicals and killing a variety of wildlife.

The footage sparked a public debate about how to reduce the use of plastic in wider society, with the neonatal team at the hospital now doing their bit to reduce waste.

Cotton wool buds, which have a plastic stem, will be swapped for gauze - a thin, translucent fabric - to help with the delicate job of cleaning infants.

The team are also looking for funding to use towards re-usable water bottles which will be lent to families staying on the ward, stopping the use of plastic cups from the unit's water cooler.

The changes are expected to save the unit £350 a year.

Caren Radcliffe, neonatal unit manager, said: "We were talking about how we can reduce waste and the amount of plastic we use and realised we don’t really need to have the cotton wool buds or plastic cups.

"We’re really aware of the amount of waste which occurs in healthcare, which is often unavoidable. We’ve looked at what we have the power to change so we hopefully can make a small impact.

"It’s everyone’s responsibility to do what they can to help the environment while caring for our patients. As healthcare professionals it’s our job to lead by example, and hopefully if we can cut down on our use of plastics, families we work with can follow suit too.

"It’s only a modest cost saving, but it’s everyone’s responsibility to do what they can to help the environment while caring for our patients."