Environmental Issues
PPE supplier-selection decisions are impacted by various factors, including sustainability, pricing, quality and reliability … In our experience, reusable isolation-gown usage has trended higher since the pandemic.
from the start. For our company, that progress is taking shape through textile recycling and‘ take-back programs’ that help reclaim and repurpose materials, extend product lifecycles and reduce landfill waste.”
Bryan Barsch of Ecotex is somewhat skeptical about current recycling opportunities. But he sees potential for suppliers and operators to make headway in this area.“ The idea of textile recycling is interesting and an area of increasing focus, especially in Europe, but it’ s still in the earliest stages in terms of truly scalable, economically viable solutions,” he says. His father Randy adds that,“ We have seen some progress in a couple of areas. First, basic recycling— repurposing endof-life textiles into secondary uses such as wiping products, insulation material or other industrial applications— which continue to evolve and expand. Second, there is growing interest in fiber-to-fiber recycling technologies, particularly for cotton and polyester blends. The challenge remains: cost, logistics and the ability to process mixed materials at scale.”
Welch adds that while opportunities are available, high costs and logistical issues pose obstacles to expanding recycling.“ The technology is there, but the price point is marginal and compounded by collection and distribution issues,” he says.“ As costing issues decline over time, this may become more practical from an economic standpoint.”
Bartsch further points out that other steps beyond recycling can achieve the same goal of extending the life of textile goods.“ In the near term, the biggest gains are likely to come from extending textile life through better product design, more precise utilization and data-driven inventory management,” they say.“ Reducing waste upstream often has a greater impact than recycling downstream.” Another way to reduce textile-related waste is to encourage hospitals and clinics to convert from single-use isolation gowns to reusable personal protective equipment( PPE).
Advancing Hospital Reusables
McCurdy says the adoption of reusable rather than disposable isolation gowns varies widely among her company’ s healthcare clients. Still, the shortages in disposable iso gowns that struck during the COVID-19 pandemic have helped foster a trend toward expanded use of reusables.“ Healthcare mandates and practices vary across different healthcare authorities,” McCurdy says.“ PPE supplier-selection decisions are impacted by various factors, including sustainability, pricing, quality and reliability. Both reusable and disposable products continue to be used in care settings. In our experience, reusable isolation-gown usage has trended higher since the pandemic.”
Bryan and Randy likewise sounded a cautiously optimistic tone on the growing use of reusable iso gowns.“ Yes, and we’ ve already seen momentum in that direction, particularly coming out of the COVID experience,” they say.“ Some of this has been driven by the geopolitics of offshore single-use, disposables.”
They note further that moving from single-use disposables to reusable textiles isn’ t just a policy decision— it’ s also a clinical and operational one.“ Infection-prevention standards, clinician acceptance and— most importantly— hospital-procurement policies and supply-chain decisions all play critical roles.“ We expect continued, but gradual adoption, supported by both sustainability objectives and a desire for more resilient supply models. In some jurisdictions, we may see policy support or guidance that accelerates that shift, but ultimately it will be driven by demonstrated performance, safety and economics.”
Kerley notes that TRSA can play an important role in encouraging a transition in supply-chain models in favor of reusables. The association should also continue to lead legislative efforts in Ohio and other states to mandate a minimum 50-50 mix of reusable and disposable iso gowns in healthcare facilities.“ We do see strong long-term potential for broader adoption of reusable isolation gowns and other reusable protective textiles in healthcare,” he says.“ The value proposition is strong in terms of supply-chain resilience, waste reduction and cost management. Hospitals saw that more clearly during the pandemic. At the same time, adoption has not always moved quickly. The market has been slow to shift in some areas because of supply-chain operations and distribution models built around delivering single-use products to end users. Broader adoption will depend in part on improving those systems, and TRSA could help lead collaborative efforts to enhance end-user distribution to match or exceed current single-use distribution methods.”
Kerley adds that he expects state-level legislation to play a key
16 Textile Services • May 2026