found to be significantly lower ( 93 percent to 99 percent ) than for the disposable gown system . This range was a result of two different scenarios for end-of-life management of the reusable gowns . Sensitivity analysis showed that the results are robust and unlikely to change based on expected variations from product to product . This analysis , combined with agreement of previous partial life cycle studies of other medical textiles , makes it clear that the environmental benefit of reusable isolation gowns is significant . The environmental improvements have been quantified herein and can be used by healthcare facilities for their achievements in sustainability programs . There would appear to be increased environmental benefits for any textile items that are reusable versus disposable . Thus , adding the life cycle of
The incorporation of more reusable textiles at healthcare facilities eliminates once-and-done disposable products , thus reducing their impact on the millions of tons of waste added each year to American landfills .” other textile and non-textile items found in healthcare facilities , such as gloves , wipes , or masks , would further strengthen the environmental benefits of reusable systems .”
A 2014 study from TRSA conducted by engineering and scientific consulting firm Exponent and PE International found that reusables offer a lower environmental impact and provide greater sustainable options for the healthcare and private businesses that employ them . The study compared three types of reusable textiles against alternative disposable products ; those products included isolation gowns , wipers , and food-service napkins . The study found that reusable isolation gowns offer clear environmental benefits compared to disposable products ; that reusable wipers have a clear benefit derived from raw-material differences ; and that for napkins , product weight and recycled content offered the greatest influence on results , indicating heavier , intensely washed reusables have significantly less impact than single , heavier disposables .
Of interest to healthcare professionals , the study concluded reusable isolation gowns , regardless of product weight , resource consumption or waste , are more environmentally friendly . Even the most resource-conservative and least wasteful ( best ) disposables have greater impacts than the worst reusables on climate change , smog , fossil fuel depletion , acid rain and algae bloom .
According to TRSA , by introducing reusable isolation gowns and wipers where they are not already in use , the healthcare community has an opportunity to reduce its environmental footprint : “ The incorporation of more reusable textiles at healthcare facilities eliminates once-and-done disposable products , thus reducing their impact on the millions of tons of waste added each year to American landfills . Eliminating this waste has a significant financial aspect as well . According to The Joint Commission , the average U . S . hospital spends between $ 44 and $ 68 per ton to dispose of waste . Most American hospitals generate about 6,600 tons of waste per day . Using that waste model , a 2005 study from Phillips & Associates , Inc ., found that if a 300-bed hospital were to use disposable surgical products rather than reusables , it would incur additional costs of upwards of $ 250,000 . The environmental impact is not limited to a product ’ s end of life . As commercial laundries continue to make technological advances in equipment and efficiency , the environmental impact of reusable textiles continues to lessen . For example , washing a pound of healthcare textiles years ago required as much as three gallons of water . Today , as little as three-quarters of a gallon of water is needed to launder those same textiles . Additional advances are being made through advanced water treatment systems and recycling as well as reusing water . A wealth of technology improvements also reduces the natural gas and oil needed to power washers , dryers and ironers . The end result of these advances is that it ’ s not only becoming more environmentally friendly to launder textiles , it ’ s also becoming less expensive as fewer natural and chemical resources are needed . One additional area often overlooked is that disposables require more on-site storage than reusables delivered daily to healthcare facilities . This is space that might be repurposed for more revenue-producing functions .”
TRSA says it ’ s important to note that while both reusable and disposable isolation gowns provide equivalent levels of protection , the median lifespan of a reusable isolation gown is approximately 64 washes whereas disposable isolation gowns are single use items . Reusable gowns are typically made from woven polyester fabric , while disposables are made from a nonwoven polypropylene fabric . As hospitals and other healthcare facilities face innumerable financial and regulatory challenges , the ability to improve their environmental footprint absent a large capital expenditure is attractive . Reusable textiles make possible a greener , more cost-effective organization .
Data from Baker , et al . ( 2020 ) indicate that reusable isolation gowns offer a tremendous opportunity to reduce environmental impact across their lifetime : “ Life cycle inventory ( LCI ) studies consistently find that , while initial manufacturing of reusable gowns might be more energy-intensive than disposable gowns over their lifetime , reusable isolation gowns use less energy , produce less waste , and generate less greenhouse gas emissions compared to disposable gowns .”
In their systematic evaluation of isolation gowns that included the impacts of manufacturing , packaging , and landfill disposal of disposable gowns compared to reusable gowns , reusables were found to consume 28 percent less total energy over the cradle-to-grave product life cycle . Additionally , reusable gown use led to a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 93 percent to 99 percent reduction in solid waste generation at the studied healthcare facility . Finally , blue water consumption in reusable gown systems was found to be half the consumption level typical to disposable gown systems .
As Baker , et al . ( 2020 ) note , “ While reusable gowns exhibit higher footprints in manufacturing and delivery energy expenditure , re-calculated footprints based on gown use reveal significant reductions across all four categories of environmental indicators . An LCI of reusable versus disposable isolation gowns , commissioned by the Textile Rental Services Association of America , found that even the best case scenario of disposable gowns ( polypropylene , spunbond nonwoven with more efficient manufacturing and transportation ) had higher global warming potential than the worst case for reusable gowns ( polyethylene with less efficient manufacturing , transportation , and washing ) at 61 kg CO2 compared with 41 kg CO2 , respectively . In addition , the best case of disposable gowns had substantially higher acidification potential , eutrophication potential , smog creation