How to Reduce Hospital Waste

According to the study, "Waste Management in the Operating Room," U.S. health care facilities contribute 4 billion pounds of waste annually to landfills. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, reports that 75 to 90 percent of hospital waste falls into the general non-risk category and can be reduced with sound waste-management efforts. The health care industry has recognized the growing problem and is instituting innovative ways to decrease waste.

Instructions

• 1

  Segregate waste to reduce contamination and the volume of waste that requires special treatment. Position and use marked receptacles that clearly state what can and cannot be put in them. The only waste that requires incineration is pathological waste, including organs and tissue, according to the study, "Cost-Effective Steps to Reduce Harmful Practices."

• 2

  Buy products with minimal packaging and that include only required items. For example, prepackaged surgery packs often include items that are never used, such as scissors, clamps and IV tubes, but the entire package is discarded after being opened. Customized surgery packs could be done on site or in cooperation with suppliers.

• 3

  Purchase reusable items, such as a glass, metal and fabric, versus single-use items. Instead of opting for disposable items, food service dishes and trays can be sterilized and reused, as can bed linens, patient and surgical gowns, patient underpads and diapers. The Sustainable Hospitals website reports that the average 250-bed hospital can save as much as $400,000 annually by investing in reusable items.

• 4

  Recycle blue wrap (plastic used to cover surgical instruments for sterilization) or instead use metal surgical cases that can be reused. Blue wrap accounts for the bulk of the waste generated by a hospital's surgical services.

• 5

  Reprocess medical devices, such as ophthalmic knives and orthopedic blades, as well as operating-room equipment, such as ultrasonic scalpels, all of which are typically discarded after one use. Reprocessing, which involves cleaning, sterilizing, repackaging and relabeling medical devices for reuse, can be contracted out to third parties. The article, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Reprocessing Medical Devices," estimates that reprocessing operating-room equipment alone could save as much as $100,000 for a 100-bed hospital in the United States.

• 6

  Invest in reusable sharps containers, which can be refilled many times, drastically cutting back on container disposal. Sharps used in medical procedures include syringes, razor blades, scalpels, scissors or anything used to puncture the skin. California's Department of Health Services discusses the merits and means of establishing a reusable sharps container strategy in the article, "Greening of the Red-Bag Waste Stream."

• 7

  Establish an effective recycling policy. Train staff in the importance of and responsibility to recycle whenever possible. Encourage recycling of paper, cardboard, metal, glass and plastic that every employee and patient generates daily while at the hospital.