August 27, 2024- U.S. hospitals are increasingly looking to medical device reprocessing as a long-term strategy to save money, reduce their waste and greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen their supply chains. Cardinal Health’s Sustainable Technologies™ business is working to meet this demand and help hospitals achieve significant savings through single-use device (SUD) collections and reprocessing services. A report by the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors noted that in 2021, U.S. hospitals and surgical centers saved more than $412 million through reprocessing.
Reducing their environmental footprint is a growing concern for hospitals and the broader healthcare industry, which is a leading producer of waste. Predictions show that global greenhouse gas emissions coming from the healthcare sector could reach six gigatons (equivalent to the mass of roughly 36 million blue whales) a year by 2050.
The industry is particularly focused on circular economy solutions aimed at keeping materials in circulation for as long as possible. Historically, healthcare has been dominated by linear, production-to-consumption models (e.g., SUDs) focused on minimizing the infection risk to patients. However, such models over time have led to a substantial number of devices labeled “single use” by manufacturers and ultimately, large amounts of waste when these devices could be reprocessed.