Breaking down drapes in landfill

Ecolab Global Healthcare, headquartered in St Paul, Minnesota, USA, is introducing the Genesys range of surgical drapes and waste bags which incorporate a technology that speeds up their breakdown into primary organic matter when disposed of in biologically active landfills.

The products do not need to be separated from other waste material.

“Hospitals are making meaningful commitments to protect the health of their communities by becoming better stewards of the environment,” said Andrew Gaillard, vice president of marketing for Ecolab. “The Genesys line of surgical drapes and waste bags are designed to help hospitals protect patients and staff from infections acquired in the operating room, and achieve environmental goals without changing current clinical practices.”

Petrochemically-derived plastics and nonwovens such as polyethylene and polypropylene which are used in most surgical equipment drapes and waste bags today, do not biodegrade. Genesys products employ a proprietary organic additive that enhances the materials’s ability to absorb moisture, attract microbes and facilitate conversion into primary organic matter and gas. As a result, they break down by up to 35% in just 21 months when tested according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D5511 test.

A recent report by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation working toward a high performing health care system, found that US health facilities create 6,600 tons of waste each day, much of which is transported to landfills. Operating rooms account for about 33% of all hospital supply, energy and waste costs.

The results of an Ecolab blind survey of nearly 200 hospital purchasing officers, clinicians and sustainability decision makers found that 50% of the respondents reported concern about the current amount of waste produced in the operating room. In addition, 70% said that sustainability concerns were influencing changes in hospital policies and processes and 79% viewed the use of products that break down faster in landfills as sound policy that aligns with their values.

Ecolab offers a complete line of equipment drapes and waste bags that help hospitals maintain a sterile field within the operating room.

Ecolab (ECL) is a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies with 2012 sales of $12 billion and 44,000 employees, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions and on-site service to promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world.