Environmental issues are currently topical with the realization that natural resources are finite. With this realization has also come the knowledge of the complexity of the problem at both local and broader levels. Because of this complexity and the extent of the existing and growing environmental damage, all people in all areas of life need to be aware of and actively involved in caring for the environment, with no single group having total responsibility to help conserve the environment. As a professional body concerned with caring for people, nurses must act in a local capacity by being informed of wider environmental issues. By knowing and understanding what happens to products such as disposable items, which have become an integral part of the hospital equipment, and how they are disposed of, the nurse is better able to make choices about whether they are appropriate for use in different health care settings.