Design Opportunities to Reduce Waste in Operating Rooms

Charlotte Harding, Joren Van Loon, Ingrid Moons, Gunter De Win and Els Du Bois
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Charlotte Harding: Department of Product Development, Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Joren Van Loon: Department of Product Development, Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Ingrid Moons: Department of Product Development, Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Gunter De Win: Antwerp Surgical Training, Anatomy and Research Center (ASTARC), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Els Du Bois: Department of Product Development, Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: While taking care of the population’s health, hospitals generate mountains of waste, which in turn causes a hazard to the environment of the population. The operating room is responsible for a disproportionately big amount of hospital waste. This research aims to investigate waste creation in the operating room in order to identify design opportunities to support waste reduction according to the circular economy. Eight observations and five expert interviews were conducted in a large sized hospital. The hospital’s waste infrastructure, management, and sterilization department were mapped out. Findings are that washable towels and operation instruments are reused; paper, cardboard, and specific fabric are being recycled; and (non-)hazardous medical waste is being incinerated. Observation results and literature findings are largely comparable, stating that covering sheets of the operation bed, sterile clothing, sterile packaging, and department-specific products are as well the most used and discarded. The research also identified two waste hotspots: the logistical packaging (tertiary, secondary, and primary) of products and incorrect sorting between hazardous and non-hazardous medical waste. Design opportunities include optimization of recycling and increased use of reusables. Reuse is the preferred method, more specifically by exploring the possibilities of reuse of textiles, consumables, and packaging.

Keywords: design for sustainability; operating room; design for a circular economy; plastics; waste management; reuse; hospital waste; healthcare waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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