Introduction•Hospitalsaccountfor3%ofUSgreenhousegas(GHG)emissionswith54%derivedfromsupplychaingoodsandservices.1

•Targetingsupplychainpoints1andreplacingdisposableproductswithreusables2areamongrecommendationstoreducetheseemissions.

•Thisstudyrepresentsa“cradletograve”LifeCycleAssessment(LCA)comparingreusableanddisposablesharpscontainers(RSC,DSC)atalargeUShospital.

Methods

•The850bedNorthwesternMemorialHospitalChicagoIL(NMH),convertedfrompolypropyleneDSC(BD,FranklinLakesNJ)toanABS-resinRSC(DanielsSharpsmartInc,ChicagoIL).

•Usingestablishedprinciples,3,4wedevelopedandappliedalifecycleinventoryandproduct-specific(sharpscontainers)LCAtool.

•Wecalculatedmetrictonscarbondioxideequivalent(MTCO2eq)GHG(CO2,CH4,N20)generatedover12monthsofmanufacture,useanddisposalofDSCandRSCatNMH.

•NMHsupplieddataonDSCandRSCquantitiesandsizesandoccupiedbeds(OB).

•Site-specific,USandinternationalprimaryenergyinputvalueswereutilized.5,6,7

•Energydatawereconvertedusinggrid-specificCO2eqfactorsforelectricityandUSnationalfactorsforfuels.5,7

•UnitprocessGHGwerecollatedinto:Manufacture(resinandcontainers);Transport(warehouse-hospital-plant);Washing(RSC);TreatmentandDisposal(96%DSCautoclaved,4%DSCincineratedforbothsystems;transport;landfill).

•Containercontentswereexcluded.

•TheRSCiscertifiedfor500uses;2%/yraredecommissionedandallpartsreusedorrecycled.

•RSCmanufacturingemissionsweredividedbyanticipatedlifetime-years.3

•TheDSCwerenotrecyclednorhadrecycledcontent.

•GHGwereworkload-normalizedper100OB-yrandrateratioanalysedusingFishertestwithP≤0.05and95%CL.

Figure 2.Reusablesharpscollector

ResultsTable 1. Waste & GHG Comparison: Disposable vs Reusable Sharps Containers

DisposableFC ReusableFC

Containersmanufactured/yr 34,396 2,210(yr1only)

Containerslandfilled/yr 34,396 Nil

Plasticdiscardedtolandfill(kg) 29,200 Nil

MTCO2eqGHGperYr 99.1 20.2*(P<0.001)

MTCO2eqGHG/100Occbed-Yr 17.3 3.2(81.4%,P<0.001)

*Annual, OB-normalizedreductionwithRSC=88MTCO2eq(-83%)

Fig 1. GHGEmissionsbyProcess:Comparisonof12monthsusageofDisposableandReusableSharpsContainers.

Grimmond T+, Reiner S*, Morris J^ and Cullingford T^

+Grimmond and Associates New Zealand; * Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago IL; ^Waterman Energy, Environment & Design, UK

An LCA of Disposable vs Reusable Sharps Containers in a Large US Hospital

Conclusions•Use of reusable sharps container:

•GeneratedsignificantlylessCO2eqemissions

•Providedsignificantreductioninplastictolandfill

•Achievedamoresustainableconsumptionandproductionbysaving88MTCO2eq/yr.

•IfRSCwereusednationallyweestimatehospitalannuallandfilledplasticandGHGwouldfallby18,000tonsand55,000MTCO2eqrespectively.

•Whileasmallfractionofthe115millionMTCO2eqgeneratedbyhospitalsupplychainemissions,1adoptionofRSCisapositivestepinformulatingsustainablehospitalsupplychainpurchasingpolicy.

References1.ChungJWandMeltzerDO.EstimateoftheCarbonFootprintoftheUSHealthCareSector.JAMA.2009;302(18):1970-1972.

2.HealthyHospitalsHealthyPlanetHealthyPeople.AddressingclimatechangeinhealthcaresettingsWorldHealthOrganizationandHealthcareWithoutHarm.http://www.who.int/globalchange/publications/healthcare_settings/en/index.html.AccessedMarch13,2011.

3.BSIPAS2050:2008.Specificationfortheassessmentofthelifecyclegreenhousegasemissionsofgoodsandservices.BritishStandardsInstitution,London,UnitedKingdom

4.USEPAClimateChangeGreenhouseGasEmissions:TechnicalGuidance.USEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders/resources/index.html.AccessedMay272011

5.TheGreenhouseGasProtocolInitiative.June2009.http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools.AccessedFeb25,2011.

6.Eco-profilesoftheEuropeanPlasticsIndustry.PlasticsEurope,Brussels.http://www.plasticseurope.org/plastics-sustainability/life-cycle-thinking.aspx.AccessedJune2,2011.

7.USEPAHowtoCalculateyourCarbonFootprint:Step2CalculateyourGHGemissionsusingtheSimplifiedGHGEmissionsCalculator,July2011.http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders/smallbiz/footprint.html.AccessedAug2,2011.

Further informationPleasecontactTerryGrimmondattg@gandassoc.com

DisclosureGrimmondandAssociatesconsulttoTheDanielsCorporation.WatermanwereretainedbyDanielstodesigntheLCAmodel

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