My Awesome Lifestyle Blog

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Most plastic items in the healthcare sector are intended for single use. Single-use plastics are among the most problematic because they are made in bulk and tossed away after being used for a few seconds, minutes, or hours. Plastics never truly go away when thrown “away”—they break up into microplastics and nanoplastics instead of breaking down benignly like more natural materials—and are also known to contain any mix of more than 16,000 chemicals, at least 4,200 of which are already known to harm human and environmental health. Plastic production, use, shipping, and disposal also drives massive social injustices.

The main categories of healthcare items in which plastics are commonly found include: 

• Food and beverage services: Food packaging/wrapping, plastic bottles, utensils, and trays are a few examples of single-use plastic used in hospital cafeterias that end up as pollution.
• Packaging: Containers of hand sanitizer and soaps, and the packaging of diagnostic devices, mepilex (dressings), surgical instruments, and thermometer probe covers are a few examples. These materials ensure that products remain uncontaminated but end up as waste after use.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE): The COVID-19 pandemic saw a record use of PPE like face masks, gloves, goggles, and gowns. As a result, the medical sector saw a surge in plastic waste. It’s estimated that over 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves were used each month globally during the height of the pandemic.
• Pharmaceuticals: Blister packs, pill bottles, and even the coatings on certain medications are all made from plastic, which not only leads to excessive waste but can take a toll on the human body.
• Single-use medical devices: Blood bags, foley and external catheters, IV fluids, syringes, and ventilator tubes are often made from plastics and are designed for one-time use. 
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Globally, hospitals and clinics generate massive amounts of plastic waste that mostly ends up in landfills, in the ocean, or incinerated. This contributes significantly to the healthcare sector’s contributions to climate change and pollution since plastic products, which are made using fossil fuels, are among the largest contributors to global carbon emissions, warming the climate.  The U.S. healthcare sector alone generates 1.7 million tons of plastic pollution every year, or about 8.5% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. An estimated 20 to 25% of the more than 14,000 tons of trash hospitals across the country produce every day is plastic.

• A majority of medical plastic waste is disposed of in landfills. As it breaks down over time, plastic releases harmful chemicals into the soil and groundwater, and releases greenhouse gas emissions, posing long-term environmental risks.
• A substantial amount of plastic waste from healthcare ends up in natural ecosystems. This not only directly harms nonhuman animals, plants, and the places they live, but can also lead to the contamination of water supplies and health crises through the spread of disease.

The environmental burden of plastic pollution is immense, and the healthcare industry’s contribution to global plastic pollution continues to grow each year. The current figure is only expected to rise as demand for medical services increases worldwide.

While many plastic items now used in healthcare play a vital role in saving lives, there are also concerns about their impact on human health. Microplastics and nanoplastics have been found throughout the human body, including in the blood, gastrointestinal tract, heart, liver, lungs, and reproductive organs. Plastics have been linked to serious health dangers, such as:

• Chemical leaching: Plastics can leach harmful chemicals into medications, organs, or bodily fluids. This poses a risk for patients who are exposed to these substances during treatment or drug administration.
• Endocrine disruption: Chemicals found in some plastics, such as Bisphenol A (BPA), have been shown to disrupt hormonal systems, potentially leading to developmental, reproductive, and neurological issues. Although BPA is being phased out of many products, chemicals with similar profiles remain in use.
• Long-term exposure: The increasing presence of microplastics in our bodies and the ways they travel through our systems is another concern. Studies show that some medical items and procedures, such as administering IV fluids, directly input microplastics into the human body.
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Before the invention of plastic in the mid-20th century, hospitals primarily used ceramics, cloth, glass, metal, and rubber. Rubber was commonly used for gloves and tubing, and glass and metal pieces (like surgical tools) were often sterilized and reused. Plastic completely transformed the healthcare industry with its cheaper cost, convenience, and versatility, often replacing even reusable materials.

Despite today’s challenges, both common sense and innovative solutions are emerging to address the plastic problem in healthcare. Healthcare Without Harm’s report, Measuring and Reducing Plastics in the Healthcare Sector, states that “In many cases, reusable solutions already exist and have been safely used in healthcare for decades. Expanding the circularity of products and materials in the healthcare sector also requires a green chemistry approach, free of toxic chemicals i.e. replacing plastic items that contain harmful chemicals with safer materials.”

For example, implementing a system of washing and reusing medical gowns instead of single-use gowns can avert more than 30,000 pounds of plastic pollution annually from a single hospital. Redesigning packaging for medical supplies can significantly reduce plastic use. Often these changes are also economical, offering healthcare providers and institutions significant cost savings.

While right now it’s unrealistic to eliminate plastics from the healthcare sector entirely, major steps can be taken to reduce their use:

• Adopt truly green Initiatives: Some hospitals are adopting green practices, which aim to reduce waste and carbon emissions. This includes using healthier and more environmentally friendly cleaning products, reducing energy consumption, and opting for materials with lower environmental impact.
• Improve waste management: In addition to reducing the amount of waste they produce through the elimination of plastics and other single-use materials with reuse systems, hospitals are recognizing the importance of better waste management systems. 
• Swap plastics for more sustainable materials: Companies are developing alternative materials to replace plastics in medical devices and packaging. Biodegradable plant-based alternatives like seaweed, and even edible plant-based materials are being tested as potential replacements for single-use plastic items in healthcare.
• Tap into reusable medical equipment: While single-use sterile items are pervasive because of their convenience, there is growing interest in reusable medical equipment made from durable, high-quality materials that can be sterilized and reused. Reusable surgical instruments and even PPE are entering the healthcare market.
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While plastics will continue to be a part of healthcare for the foreseeable future, healthcare providers, health product manufacturers, and policymakers must work together to find healthier and truly sustainable solutions to the plastic problem in healthcare. Reducing plastic pollution by implementing reuse systems and better plastic-free alternatives, in addition to improving waste management is critical to reducing plastics in the healthcare industry, the environment, and in our bodies.

If you want to be directly involved, Healthcare Without Harm is an organization dedicated to providing resources and knowledge to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare. Be sure to watch their video, Do No Harm. Plastic Pollution Coalition also hosted a webinar featuring Ruth Stringer, Science and Policy Coordinator at Healthcare Without Harm, which you can watch here. By raising awareness and taking decisive action now, we can ensure that future generations don’t inherit the consequences of our Plastic Age.