OR Manager - February 2020 - 10

OR business
Continued from page 9
Initial survey-Qualitative data collection
OR staff were given electronic access to
information in an OR recycling folder in
the nursing administration file.
Improvements included:
* green bags placed into triangularshaped
bins for plastic recycling
* blue bins available for paper recycling
*
recycling signs placed near the bins
to guide effective recycling
* bins placed in all ORs, locker rooms,
lounge areas, and storage areas
* a process for recycling coffee cups
and cardboard lunch trays.
Belanger says a pilot study was conducted
before they put a coffee-cup recycling
process in place, and they saw a
huge improvement in just that one area.
" We also collaborated with the vendor
to improve our practice for reprocessing
single-use-only surgical items, and
we improved the reprocessing of compression
boots and tourniquet cuffs for
the OR, PACU, and preop areas, " says
Belanger. " Stryker, our vendor, keeps
track of the number of times items have
been reprocessed, " she says.
In addition, a nurse-driven pilot audit
was conducted to collect data on the
number of items opened onto the sterile
field and not used.
" Results from these surveys, studies,
and audits have increased awareness
at the clinical site in terms of recycling,
reducing waste, and reprocessing,
which led to improved outcomes, " says
Belanger.
International policy changes
'throw a wrench into the works'
Items that can be recycled have
changed in response to China's " National
Sword " policy adopted in 2017.
This initiative banned the importing of
24 grades of plastics and mixed paper
(mixed paper accounts for 40% of
single-stream recycling).
In addition, the contamination rate
acceptable for recyclables shipped to
10
OR Manager | February 2020
What are the challenges/barriers you face for recycling in the OR? Pick as many as apply.
(Total=167)
I am not sure which items are recyclable.
No time to separate out these items.
Not enough space to hold recyclable items or bins in room.
All of the above.
None of the above.
Comment-add your answer in free text.
25%
19%
37%
18%
19%
16%
Source: Massachusetts General Hospital. Used with permission.
international countries was changed to
0.05%-down from the previous industry
specification of 2%.
This major shift has significantly impacted
the value of commodities-reducing
overall value by 65%-and left
Higher awareness
of waste has
changed habits for
the better.
many cities and businesses across the
US challenged by a new economics for
recycling.
In 2016, China imported 760 million
tons of plastic recyclable waste. That
number has fallen by 95% since international
regulatory changes were implemented.
MGH is working with national
and international recycling manufacturing
companies to determine what plastic
waste can be recycled from healthcare
facilities.
" Our options have changed dramatically
in the past year, " says Belanger.
" The MGH sustainability director is
working with a leader in the recycling industry
to develop other options, but we
are not quite there yet. "
The single-stream recycling approach
was a limiting factor in healthcare recycling.
The waste systems vendor who
worked with MGH to create the previous
process is now having to respond to the
international regulatory changes, notes
Belanger.
" We haven't lost hope, " she says.
" We have a significant opportunity to
capture even more recyclables than
they we have in the past, but it will have
to occur through an alternate collection
and processing system, which will take
time to set up. The biggest thing for us
to focus on is creating true long-term
sustainability in our programs and our
efforts. "
Other processes 'in the works'
The committee is working on other processes
that include:
* using compostable bags instead of
plastic bags for patients to put their
clothes and other items in when
they are admitted
* selling bags in the gift shop with the
hospital logo on them made from
the blue wrap after sterile items are
removed (http://www.circularblu.
com/)
* recycling blue wrap through Halyard
Health, Alpharetta, Georgia.
" We are discussing new options for
recycling blue wrap and plastic medical
waste with companies through our
vendors who are aware of our problem "
notes Michael Farrell, MS, RN, CNOR,
www.ormanager.com
http://www.circularblu http://www.ormanager.com
OR Manager - February 2020

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