Study Compares Carbon Footprint of Single-Use and Reusable Surgical Instruments

Solvay Specialty Polymers, a supplier of high-performance thermoplastics, reported the results of a major study challenging perceptions that single-use medical instruments have a negative environmental impact vs. reusable instruments. Conducted in conjunction with Medacta International, a manufacturer of orthopedic implants, neurosurgical systems and instrumentation, and Swiss Climate, an independent sustainability consultant, the report signals a significant cradle-to-grave lifecycle analysis to measure the environmental impact of high-performance polymers in healthcare applications.
 
“As industry-leading innovators and collaborators, both Solvay and Medacta have been at the forefront of the trend toward single-use medical instrumentation. Despite the tremendous promise of the single-use concept for reducing the frequency of hospital acquired infections, concerns over increased waste have led to the perception that single-use instrumentation is less environmentally friendly than traditional systems,” said Bianca Shemper, sustainability manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. “With Medacta’s help, we methodically explored those concerns to determine whether the alleged environmental impact of a single-use instrument kit outweighed its clear potential benefits. Partnerships like this emphasize Solvay’s commitment to taking a leadership role in sustainable chemistry and environmental responsibility to help our customers foster environmentally friendly yet highly competitive new solutions.”
 
Applying the ISO 14044 standard for lifecycle analysis, the group focused its study on the cumulative environmental impact of a surgical instrument kit for knee replacement manufactured by Medacta. The kit is available with either all-metal reusable instruments (GMK) or with single-use instruments (GMK Efficiency) injection molded from several high-performance medical grade polymers from Solvay. The analysis encompassed the complete cradle-to-grave lifecycle of both kit options, including their raw materials, production, use and disposal, as well as post-use management, reuse and recovery.
 
Overall, the lifecycle analysis of Medacta’s surgery kit demonstrated that the carbon footprint of GMK Efficiency single-use instrumentation is neutral when compared to the average CO2 equivalent annual emission of a hospital using conventional metal re-usable instrumentation. These findings counter existing industry perceptions about the negative environmental impact of single-use instrumentation, and reinforce the viability of metal-to-plastic conversion for these applications. Further, the findings allowed Medacta to apply Swiss Climate’s respected CO₂ Neutral stamp to its GMK Efficiency single-use surgical instrument kit for knee replacement.
 
Additional input from Swiss Climate found that GMK Efficiency single-use instrumentation eliminates the need for repeated washing and sterilization, which can save up to 115 gallons (435 liters) of water for each surgical knee procedure.
 
“Medacta has always been committed to providing solutions that are optimally safe and effective, delivering economic sustainability with highly innovative products, while respecting the environment,” said Francesco Siccardi, executive vice president of Medacta International. “Medacta’s latest innovation, GMK Efficiency single use instruments, is the ultimate evidence of this constant commitment.”
 
“Despite the debate over environmental impact, demand for single-use instruments is growing quickly due, in part, to their potential for reducing hospital acquired infections,” said Dane Waund, global healthcare market manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. “To help customers more familiar with metal fabrication consider making this important transition, Solvay is committed to partnering with industry leaders like Medacta to evaluate the potential environmental impact of alternative solutions, and to usher in a new generation of safer and more innovative medical instrumentation.”