Intravitreal injections have a large environmental impact, estimated to be around 210 million kg of CO2 equivalent per year in the U.S. alone, according to a presenter at the American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting.
This estimate was based on a comprehensive literature review focusing on keywords addressing sustainability. Based on the eligible studies, which were predominantly from the United Kingdom and Ireland, it was estimated that each intravitreal injection produces a carbon footprint of 14 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). This multiplied by the approximately 15