Daniels Sharpsmart reduces greenhouse gases in study at LCA XI CHICAGO
Daniels Sharpsmart Inc. announced that its reusable sharps containers were shown to be associated with less greenhouse gas emissions than standard disposable containers.
- (1888PressRelease) October 05, 2011 - CHICAGO - Daniels Sharpsmart Inc., announced that in a scientific paper delivered today at LCA XI CHICAGO, a conference of environmental impact experts, Sharpsmart reusable sharps containers were shown to be associated with 81% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than standard disposable containers. The senior author, Terry Grimmond, a consultant microbiologist, with Sandra Reiner, Infection Control & Prevention Coordinator from Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago and two environmental specialists from UK, presented their research entitled, "Impact on Carbon Footprint: An LCA of Disposable vs. Reusable Sharps Containers in a Large U.S. Hospital."
Hospitals account for 3 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and are striving to increase their sustainability and decrease their global warming potential (GWP). Of their emissions, 54 percent are derived from supply chain goods and services. The authors explored how by targeting supply chain points and replacing disposable sharp containers (DSC) with reusable sharp containers (RSC), hospitals can reduce their GWP.
The authors estimated that U.S. hospitals dispose of their needles, scalpels, etc., into 35 million disposable (DSC) or reusable (RSC) sharps containers which generate 90,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO2eq) in their manufacture, use and disposal. Using a life cycle assessment (LCA) the study illustrates this issue using data from Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) Chicago, an 850-bed hospital, which converted from DSC to RSC.
The study revealed that by using reusable sharps containers NMH landfilled 34,000 less plastic containers, a saving of 29 tons annually. More importantly the cradle to grave study found they reduced their GHG emissions by 88 MTCO2eq. If reusable sharps containers were used nationally, the authors estimate that hospital annual landfilled plastic and GHG would fall by 18,000 tons and 55,000 MTCO2eq respectively.
"Daniels Sharpsmart is committed to developing safe, environmentally-friendly products and services for healthcare workers as well as healthcare organizations," said David Skinner, Vice President of Daniels Sharpsmart. "It's by working closely with clients and expert consultants, that we can remain on the forefront of new methods to practice green healthcare and reduce the carbon footprint."
About Daniels Sharpsmart
Daniels Sharpsmart Inc. the world's largest provider of reusable systems for sharps disposal and the second largest company in the medical waste disposal industry in the United States. The Sharpsmart system was launched in 1999 and is the most widely researched sharps containment system in the world, the only system to have peer-reviewed confirmation of sharps injury reduction and the only system in which all container models meet the tests required by the European Agreement (AFG) on Transport of Dangerous Goods. The company's innovative Sharpsmart system is used in health care facilities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. For more information, please visit http://danielsinternational.com/.
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