A new survey shows that hospitals saved over $451 million and cut 115 million pounds of CO₂ by using regulated, reprocessed ‘single-use’ medical devices.
Hospitals and surgical centers in 17 countries partnered with the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR) to save over $451 million and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 115 million pounds in 2024 by using regulated, reprocessed “single-use” medical devices, according to an AMDR member survey.
Reprocessing not only reduces costs, but it also strengthens the supply chain by keeping more products available domestically, according to AMDR. Examples of regulated reprocessed “single-use” medical devices that are labelled for “single-use” by their original manufacturer include lateral transfer mats, pulse oximeters, harmonic scalpels, and EP catheters and cables.
AMDR member reprocessors sold 36.3 million reprocessed “single-use” medical devices back to hospitals and surgical facilities for safe reuse in 2024, according to the member survey. Seventy-four US military institutions, including those that treat the President, use such devices.
Among the key findings:
- Members helped health systems save $451,183,153 through cost savings (reprocessed “single-use” devices cost 30 to 50% less than virgin devices) as well as from reduced waste disposal fees.
- By using reprocessed “single-use” medical devices instead of virgin materials, participating health systems and reprocessing partners reduced CO2 emissions by 115,382,133 pounds (52,336,445 kilograms), which is equivalent to eliminating 5,889,103 gallons (22,292,680 liters) of gasoline, enough to fill 693 tanker trucks.
- Two new countries, France and Australia, join the list of 17 countries with strict regulations to support robust commercial “single-use” medical devices reprocessing programs.
- Year-over-year growth for AMDR members is roughly 10%; for the past five years, the industry has grown 52%.
“Our members are proud to work in partnership with their hospital customers who increasingly want to strengthen the supply chain in addition to reducing cost and waste through reprocessing programs,” says Daniel J. Vukelich, president and CEO of AMDR, in a release. “We are thrilled that hospitals in France and Australia have joined their counterparts in 15 other countries in benefiting from commercial SUD reprocessing programs.”
AMDR offers a free greenhouse gas emissions calculator, which enables AMDR to publish the industry-wide greenhouse gas emissions reductions figure. The calculator uses peer-reviewed data from life cycle assessments comparing the environmental impact of reprocessed “single-use” medical devices to their virgin counterparts. AMDR’s analysis also uses the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalence calculator.
