Minnesota-based global NGO Matter announced, through the Matter 360 initiative of repurposing medical equipment and supplies, that 1.5 million pounds of medical surplus was saved from landfills in 2020.
Matter is committed to repurposing medical equipment and supplies to aid people and reduce landfill non-hazardous medical waste, and accomplishes this through distributions to international hospital and clinic partners, from resale efforts, and by recycling. Matter has been involved in repurposing medical equipment and supplies since 2002, and in 2019, more than 1 million pounds was repurposed.
Most medical supplies and equipment donated to Matter (93%) is repurposed through distribution to hospitals and clinics around the globe. This allows medical equipment and supplies, not useful in their current situation, to transform into a vital, lifesaving role in another part of the world.
“We remain grateful to our growing number of partners, such as hospitals and clinics, who trust us to make sure their medical surplus, whether equipment or supplies, benefit others when they are not of use in their present situation,” says Joel Anderson, medical program director at Matter. “We are committed to providing a responsive, easy way to facilitate the quick donation of medical supplies and equipment for our partners, helping to make sustainability sustainable.”