Eliminating Waste

Most recent entries |

  1. Case study and how-to guide: reduce, re-use, recycle in the dialysis unit

    The three case studies outlined here show that the principles most commonly used to underpin waste reduction strategies – reduce, reuse, recycle – can be successfully applied to renal units, and that financial savings can be made. Applying these strategies can be remarkably simple, and the repetitive nature of the dialysis treatments means that the benefits are continually accrued. The final part of this ‘How to…’ guide describes how to undertake a waste audit, which will allow individual units to identify where best to focus their attention. Green Nephrology programme 2009-10.

    from The Campaign for Greener Healthcare on 16 April 2010 | Download | Comment on this

  2. Commentary: A Call to Go Green in Health Care by Reprocessing Medical Equipment

    Kwakye, Gifty; Pronovost, Peter J.; Makary, Martin A. Academic Medicine. 85(3):398-400, March 2010. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181cd5a71 . Health care is one of the largest contributors to waste production in the United States. Given increased awareness of the environmental and financial costs associated with waste disposal and its public health impact, many hospitals are adopting environmentally friendly practices that reduce waste production and offer equally effective, yet less expensive alternatives. Reprocessing of medical equipment is one such practice that has gained popularity in recent years and has led to major cost savings across several medical disciplines. In this commentary, we seek to take a closer look at the practice of reprocessing, explore the evidence surrounding its safety, and suggest implications of reprocessing for medical centers. (C) 2010 Association of American Medical Colleges

    from SHEBA on 05 March 2010 | Direct link | Comment on this

  3. Reprocessed Single-Use Medical Devices

    FDA Oversight Has Increased, and Available Information Does Not Indicate That Use Presents an Elevated Health Risk. United States Government Accountability Office Report to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives

    from SHEBA on 01 January 2008 | Download | Comment on this

  4. The Nipper Mountain: prion risk, where do we draw the line?

    Millions of nail clippers are incinerated every year across the NHS, as a result of policies to manage the theoretical risk of vCJD, according to an article by Julie Hotchkiss, public health consultant in Wigan.

    from SHEBA on 27 November 2009 | Comment on this

  5. Coming round to recycling

    David C J Hutchins, medical student, Stuart M White, consultant in anaesthesia. BMJ 2009. Both the UK government and the British Medical Association have recently published strategies for "greener" health care.1 2 An audit of anaesthetic waste at our hospital found that about 40% of all waste (roughly 950 kg/theatre/year) was potentially recyclable paper, card, plastic, and glass, and only 4% by weight of sharps bin contents was true sharp waste. Although recycling has potential environmental and financial benefits, it is hampered by convenience, technology, lack of knowledge, concerns about environmental safety, and statutory regulation. We discuss how clinicians might cut the amount of waste they produce by reducing, reusing, and recycling resources and suggest ideas for future research.

    from SHEBA on 10 March 2009 | Direct link | Comment on this