2023-05-17 18:00:16
- The short-term challenge for the medical industry is to continue on the path of product reuse regardless of extraordinary contexts such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
- In terms of health, a reusable garment saves up to 25 kilos of disposable products.
- World Recycling Day is commemorated every May 17.
In the medical industry, single-use supplies have been key to preventing disease transmission and caring for patients and medical personnel. The problem is that its proper handling and recycling process represents a great challenge for the sector because the vast majority of personal protective equipment (PPE) does not have technology that allows it to be reused and this represents a significant impact for the industry. For the enviroment.
Hospitals are not prepared to recycle
According to the United Nations Organization (UN) It is estimated that globally 1 in 3 hospitals is not equipped to manage the loads of healthcare waste it generates. This figure increases by up to 60% in developing nations.
“One of the main sources of single-use waste generation comes from medical clothing such as gloves, clinical mask, gowns, eye protection, and other materials. Although these are necessary, until now it was not possible to generate clothing that could be reused and at the same time be safe for a sector as demanding as the medical profession,” says Tamara Chayo, CEO and Founder of MEDU Protection.
under the World Recycling Daywhich is commemorated every May 17, reduce, reuse and recycle in the medical industry is a key process for caring for the planet, mainly due to the amount of waste, the saving of raw materials, as well as the energy that is used for the preparation of EEPs teams.
Towards good waste management
The UN estimates that globally between 75% and 90% of the waste generated by hospitals and health centers are non-infectious materials; however, most of these lack an adequate waste management system, which leaves them vulnerable to a possible increase in their volume as a result of extraordinary events such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CEO of MEDU Protection argues that, although plastic (and other single-use materials) have historically been implemented as a raw material for the manufacture of medical products, it is essential to look for new sustainable materials that fulfill the same protection and security tasks. .
“In the health sector, an input that is recycled means a considerable saving of resources. For example, in our case, a reusable garment represents a saving of up to 25 kilos of disposable waste, which helps hospitals have more budget to improve patient care”.
The Ministry of Health (SSa) estimates that each hospital bed generates an average of 1.5 kilograms of medical waste daily, so proper management of these materials contributes to reducing environmental contamination.
“In addition to reusable supplies, it is important to redouble efforts to create more biodegradable personal protective equipment that has the same effectiveness as current single-use equipment, that is, to maintain a balance between caring for the environment, health, and safety. of people”.
The great short-term challenge for the medical industry is to continue on the path of product reuse regardless of the pandemic context. The transition towards sustainability is not as fast as in other sectors, although it contributes to better preparation for other health emergencies.
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