An LCA of Disposable vs Reusable Sharps Containers in a ...
1
Introduction • Hospitals account for 3% of US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with 54% derived from supply chain goods and services. 1 • Targeting supply chain points 1 and replacing disposable products with reusables 2 are among recommendations to reduce these emissions. • This study represents a“cradle to grave” Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing reusable and disposable sharps containers (RSC, DSC) at a large US hospital. Methods • The 850 bed Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago IL (NMH), converted from polypropylene DSC (BD, Franklin Lakes NJ) to an ABS-resin RSC (Daniels Sharpsmart Inc, Chicago IL). • Using established principles, 3,4 we developed and applied a lifecycle inventory and product-specific (sharps containers) LCA tool. • We calculated metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2eq) GHG (CO2, CH4, N20) generated over 12 months of manufacture, use and disposal of DSC and RSC at NMH. • NMH supplied data on DSC and RSC quantities and sizes and occupied beds (OB). • Site-specific, US and international primary energy input values were utilized. 5,6,7 • Energy data were converted using grid-specific CO2eq factors for electricity and US national factors for fuels. 5,7 • Unit process GHG were collated into: Manufacture (resin and containers); Transport (warehouse-hospital-plant);Washing (RSC);Treatment and Disposal (96% DSC autoclaved, 4% DSC incinerated for both systems; transport; landfill). • Container contents were excluded. • The RSC is certified for 500 uses; 2%/yr are decommissioned and all parts reused or recycled. • RSC manufacturing emissions were divided by anticipated lifetime-years. 3 • The DSC were not recycled nor had recycled content. • GHG were workload-normalized per 100 OB-yr and rate ratio analysed using Fisher test with P ≤0.05 and 95% CL. Figure 2. Reusable sharps collector Results Table 1. Waste & GHG Comparison: Disposable vs Reusable Sharps Containers Disposable FC Reusable FC Containers manufactured /yr 34,396 2,210 (yr 1 only) Containers landfilled /yr 34,396 Nil Plastic discarded to landfill (kg) 29,200 Nil MTCO2eq GHG per Yr 99.1 20.2 * (P < 0.001) MTCO2eq GHG/100 Occ bed-Yr 17.3 3.2 (81.4%, P < 0.001) * Annual, OB-normalized reduction with RSC = 88 MTCO2eq (-83%) Fig 1. GHG Emissions by Process: Comparison of 12 months usage of Disposable and Reusable Sharps Containers. 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: • Generated significantly less CO2eq emissions • Provided significant reduction in plastic to landfill • Achieved a more sustainable consumption and production by saving 88 MTCO2eq/yr. • If RSC were used nationally we estimate hospital annual landfilled plastic and GHG would fall by 18,000 tons and 55,000 MTCO2eq respectively. •While a small fraction of the 115 million MTCO2eq generated by hospital supply chain emissions, 1 adoption of RSC is a positive step in formulating sustainable hospital supply chain purchasing policy. References 1. Chung JW and Meltzer DO. Estimate of the Carbon Footprint of the US Health Care Sector. JAMA. 2009;302(18):1970-1972. 2. Healthy Hospitals Healthy Planet Healthy People. Addressing climate change in health care settings World Health Organization and Healthcare Without Harm. http:// www.who.int/globalchange/publications/healthcare_ settings/en/index.html. Accessed March 13, 2011. 3. BSI PAS 2050:2008. Specification for the assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services. British Standards Institution, London, United Kingdom 4. USEPA Climate Change Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Technical Guidance. US Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders/resources/index.html. Accessed May 27 2011 5. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative. June 2009. http:// www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools. Accessed Feb 25, 2011. 6. Eco-profiles of the European Plastics Industry. Plastics Europe, Brussels. http://www.plasticseurope.org/plastics- sustainability/life-cycle-thinking.aspx. Accessed June 2, 2011. 7. USEPA How to Calculate your Carbon Footprint: Step 2 Calculate your GHG emissions using the Simplified GHG Emissions Calculator, July 2011. http://www.epa.gov/ climateleaders/smallbiz/footprint.html. Accessed Aug 2, 2011. Further information Please contact Terry Grimmond at [email protected] Disclosure Grimmond and Associates consult to The Daniels Corporation.Waterman were retained by Daniels to design the LCA model Manufacture Transport Wash Treat & Dispose Total 0 20 40 60 80 100 Manufacture Transport Wash Treat & Total Disposable Reusable GHG Emissions by Process Metric Tons CO2eq
Transcript of An LCA of Disposable vs Reusable Sharps Containers in a ...
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 [email protected]
DisclosureGrimmondandAssociatesconsulttoTheDanielsCorporation.WatermanwereretainedbyDanielstodesigntheLCAmodel
Manufacture Transport Wash Treat&Dispose
Total0
20
40
60
80
100
Manufacture Transport Wash Treat &Dispose
Total
Metric Tons
CO2eq
Disposable
Reusable
GHG Emissions by Process
MetricTonsCO2eq
