[Washington, DC / Berlin Germany – 16 October 2024] A record 11,967 hospitals and surgical centers saved nearly half a billion dollars and eliminated greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 7.5 Olympic swimming pools filled with gasoline by opting for regulated, commercially reprocessed ‘single-use’ medical devices (SUDs) instead of virgin SUDs in 2023.

The data comes from a newly released survey by the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR).

Key findings include:

• By using safe, regulated, reprocessed SUDs, such as lateral transfer mats, pulse oximeters, and EP catheters and cables, hospitals and surgical centers collectively saved over US$465.8MM (€426.7MM) in 2023. AMDR believes this represents a small fraction of the full amount that could be saved if hospitals maximized reprocessing programs.

• A record 23.7MM pounds (9.9MM kg) of medical waste were diverted from landfills and put back into service in 2023 after inspecting, disinfecting and/or sterilizing the products, and labelling them. AMDR member reprocessors sold 30.9MM reprocessed SUDs back to hospitals and surgical facilities for safe reuse.

• The greenhouse gas emissions eliminated by hospitals that used reprocessed SUDS is equivalent to the emissions from using 5,012,801 gallons (18,975,516 liters) of gasoline – that’s about 7.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools filled with gasoline that hospitals and surgical centers avoided by using reprocessed SUDs.

• Every health system in the United States, except for the Veterans Affairs hospital system, and hospitals and surgical centers in 14 additional countries used regulated reprocessed “single-use” medical devices (SUDs).

• 80 U.S military institutions, including those that treat the President, use reprocessed SUDs.

“AMDR members partner with hospitals to dramatically reduce cost, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions by using regulated, reprocessed SUDs,” said Daniel J. Vukelich, President and CEO, Association of Medical Device Reprocessors. “While these numbers are record setting and robust, they represent only a small fraction of the reprocessed devices that hospitals could use.”

Thanks to its free greenhouse gas emissions calculator, published on Earth Day 2024, AMDR can publish this first ever industry-wide greenhouse gas emissions reductions figure. The calculator uses peer reviewed data from life cycle assessments comparing the environmental impact of reprocessed SUDs to their virgin counterparts. AMDR’s analysis also uses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalence calculator.

Infographics that illustrate the AMDR member survey data are available here. Methodology for AMDR’s Member Survey is available here.

Click here to read the full news release.