Carbon footprint of a total knee replacement in Australia on par with driving a car from Brisbane to Sydney

Trying to limit your carbon footprint on the planet is a tough task in every day life.

And while you might swap car commutes for riding your bike, even a trip to the hospital can contribute to global warming.

The healthcare sector contributes an estimated 5.3 per cent of Australia's annual greenhouse gas emissions and trying to bring that number down in line with net zero by 2050 targets is tricky.

To help figure out where improvements could be made, researchers have broken down the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions of a common operation: a total knee replacement.