Surgery generates about one-fourth of all the waste a hospital generates — from clear plastic to blue wrap to white cardboard, according to an article on the Outpatient Surgery website.
Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Ind., has adopted a clean-waste recycling program for its 29 operating rooms.
Any clean waste from items opened during a case — paper, cardboard, plastic — gets placed in a special blue trash container with a clear liner.
Before the patient enters the OR, the clear bag is tied off and the container is rolled into a semi-sterile area. At the end of the case, the clean recyclable waste gets placed on top of the dirty case cart, which is then transported to sterile supply processing.
State of the Facilities Management Industry in 2025
City of Hope to Open New Cancer Specialty Hospital in California
Montefiore Einstein Opening New Inpatient Center for Youth in the Bronx
Skill Stacking: How Micro-Credentials Are Reshaping Trades
Prima Medicine Opens New Location in Tysons, Virginia