A conflict is emerging in the attitude among medical professionals toward so-called green practices. Many hospitals and clinics can and do save money and resources by conserving resources. When it comes to reusing certain medical devices, however, the risk of inadvertently infecting patients should outweigh the cost savings.

Unfortunately, in some cases, reusing needles or vials of medicine has led to outbreaks of diseases such as hepatitis C. Such hospital errors can be avoided by using brand-new, unused needles every time. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun a new campaign aimed at health care workers urging them to use a needle and syringe only once.

But is medical waste that big of a problem that recycling and reuse is needed? It may come as a surprise to learn that about 7,000 tons of medical waste is produced in the United States every day — a total of about 2.5 million tons per year, or an almost inconceivable 5 billion pounds. The business of managing medical waste is a $3 billion-a-year business.

Re-sterilizing medical equipment for reuse has gone on for years, but these are for expensive items that are designed to be used multiple times. Items such as needles are ubiquitous and cheap, designed for a single use, do need to be discarded after a single use. However, some organizations have questioned if some types of devices meant to be reused are getting cleaned and sterilized as well as they should be. Ideally, the industry will be able to strike a balance between cost savings and safe care.

Source: The Daily Beast, "Why Green Hospital Practices Could Make You Sick," Kent Sepkowitz, Jan. 14, 2013