Medical device reprocessing diverts more than one million pounds of waste
Medline Industries, Inc. announced its Medline ReNewal medical device reprocessing division reported they reached a new milestone after successfully collecting 5.3 million devices for reprocessing in 2020, diverting more than one million pounds of waste from landfills and preventing the release of nearly 1,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Utilizing FDA-regulated processes and rigorous device testing standards, Medline ReNewal takes single-use devices (SUDs) that clinicians typically throw away and restores them to like-new condition. In October 2020, Medline’s reprocessing facility grew to 50,000 square feet as part of the company’s Healthcare Resilience Initiative.
A recent study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology on the impact of reprocessed electrophysiology catheters (ECs) versus new ECs, found that reprocessed medical devices can reduce the global warming impact of medical devices by 50%, ozone depletion by 90%, and the use of abiotic resources (water, sunlight, and minerals) by 29%.
Sustainability has deep roots at Medline, where the issue is viewed as a pressing healthcare challenge that demands solutions that recognize the unique relationship between human health and climate change. Within the company’s own operations, Medline has reduced its emissions by 5% per square foot and invested $12.6 million in solar energy.
Medline created a competition-based campaign to increase awareness around how reprocessing can impact the environment and bottom line. There are two ways to compete in the “Make a Difference” campaign:
· Inter-Facility: Compete against other departments within your hospital
· IDN Group: Compete against other hospitals within an integrated delivery network.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to make healthcare more sustainable, we are increasing awareness around the positive impact that reprocessing devices can have on the environment as well as a hospitals’ financial health,” says Paige Merritt, marketing manager at Medline. “The program’s goals are to drive attainment of established reprocessing goals while increasing collections and inventory by recognizing how leading healthcare organizations have found success in reprocessing.”
