Many surgical tools are now used once and thrown away: drapes, gowns, gloves, needles, staplers, trocars and some scopes. They are sterile out of the pack and do not need cleaning. But they create a lot of waste, and they are not always cheaper.
Why single-use grew
- Infection control: no risk from poor cleaning between patients.
- Convenience: no need for central sterile departments to clean and pack.
- Consistency: every device is new, with no wear.
- Complex designs: some modern devices are hard or impossible to clean fully.
Infection benefits
Germs left on reused instruments can spread infections. Drug-resistant germs make this more serious. WHO reports that 1 in 6 lab-confirmed bacterial infections was resistant to antibiotics in 2023 [2]. Resistance raises the risk of complications after surgery [2]. Single-use items remove one route of spread.
Waste and cost
WHO says about 85% of health-care waste is general, non-hazardous waste. The other 15% is hazardous: it may be infectious, toxic or radioactive [1].
High-income countries produce up to 0.5 kg of hazardous waste per hospital bed per day, compared with about 0.2 kg in low-income countries [1]. In low-income countries, waste is often not separated, so the real amount of hazardous waste is higher [1]. About 16 billion injections are given each year, and not all needles and syringes are disposed of safely [1].
Burning waste in the open or at low temperatures can release dioxins, furans and fine particles [1]. Sharps waste can injure staff and waste pickers [1].
Reprocessing
Some countries allow certain single-use devices to be cleaned and reused by approved companies. This can cut waste and cost. It needs strict rules and checks to keep patients safe. Not every device is suitable.
Greener choices
- Choose reusable items where cleaning is safe and reliable.
- Separate waste properly so only truly hazardous waste is treated as such.
- Remove unused items from standard surgical packs.
- Buy from makers that use less packaging and take back devices.
- Use safer waste treatment, such as autoclaves, instead of open burning.
The cost question
Single-use items have a clear price per use. Reusable ones have hidden costs: cleaning, staff, energy, water, repair and storage. A full cost comparison should include these, and waste disposal on the single-use side.
Key numbers at a glance
- 15% of health-care waste is hazardous.
- Up to 0.5 kg hazardous waste per bed per day in high-income countries.
- About 16 billion injections a year.
- 1 in 6 bacterial infections resistant (2023).
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Types of health-care waste
- Infectious waste: items with blood or body fluids, lab cultures [1].
- Pathological waste: tissues, organs and body parts [1].
- Sharps: needles, scalpels, blades and broken glass [1].
- Chemical waste: solvents, disinfectants and heavy metals [1].
- Pharmaceutical and cytotoxic waste: expired drugs and cancer medicines [1].
- Radioactive waste from diagnosis and treatment [1].
- General waste, like household rubbish [1].
Many single-use surgical items, such as wrappers and packaging, are general waste if they are kept apart from contaminated items. Good sorting in the operating room reduces the amount that needs costly treatment.
Health risks from poor waste handling
WHO lists the risks: injuries from sharps, exposure to drugs such as antibiotics and cancer medicines released into the environment, and toxic substances such as mercury or dioxins during handling or burning [1]. Drug-resistant germs can also spread from health facilities into the environment [1].
Where waste comes from
The main sources are hospitals and clinics, labs and research centres, mortuaries, animal research labs, blood banks and nursing homes [1]. Operating rooms are among the biggest waste producers inside a hospital.
Questions for a hospital waste review
- Which single-use items could safely be reusable?
- Are surgical packs carrying items that are rarely used?
- Is waste sorted at the point of use?
- How is hazardous waste treated, and where?
- Do suppliers offer take-back or recycling?
Where to read more
All figures in this article come from public sources listed below. For more detail, start with the WHO fact sheet on health-care waste. Each is free to read online. If anything here raises a question about your own health, take this article to your doctor or pharmacist and talk it through together. Good questions lead to better care.
Injection safety
About 16 billion injections are given each year [1]. Syringes that cannot be reused, and safe sharps boxes, protect patients and staff. But they add to waste volumes. Safe collection, treatment and disposal must grow at the same pace as single-use products.
Treating waste safely
WHO warns that open burning and low-temperature burning can release dioxins, furans and fine particles [1]. Safer options include steam treatment (autoclaving), microwave treatment and well-run high-temperature incinerators with pollution controls. Many smaller hospitals send waste to shared treatment sites.
More numbers
- 85% of health-care waste is general waste.
- 15% is hazardous.
- Up to 0.5 kg of hazardous waste per bed per day in high-income countries.
Questions to ask suppliers
- Is a reusable version available, and how is it cleaned?
- How much packaging comes with each item?
- Do you take back used devices?
- What is the full cost per use, including disposal?
What this means
Single-use devices will stay central to safe surgery, but pressure to cut waste is growing. Hospitals will look for a smarter mix: single-use where infection risk is high, reusable or reprocessed where safe, and better waste handling for everything.
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Sources
Banner image: Disposable Face Mask on street, East Downtown, Vancouver during coronavirus pandemic (497… by GoToVan from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The data behind this story
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