SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. — We all know the numbers by heart—in the United States, the healthcare market for reusable textiles is 20% compared to the 80% market share held by single-use disposables. And, there are 50 salespeople representing disposables for each salesperson selling reusable textile products.
These are depressing statistics by any standard. To add insult to injury, how often have we read research paid for by manufacturers of disposable items—research that touts the superiority of disposable items over reusable counterparts?
The American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) is working with its members to change this situation. With a mission to create greater awareness and appreciation for reusable textiles, ARTA strives to provide its members with data and marketing resources that help make the case for reusable textiles.
In the past few years, this effort has included conducting several life cycle assessments (LCAs) that have each confirmed reusables are the environmentally friendly choice over disposables. Specifically, the raw goods, manufacture, and cleaning of reusable textiles use less water and energy/carbon than the raw goods and manufacture of disposables. In addition, choosing reusables greatly reduces waste stream and its associated costs because a reusable item is worn up to 50 or 75 times, while a disposable item is used once and goes to the landfill or is incinerated.
LCAs ON CLEANROOM COVERALL, ISOLATION AND SURGICAL GOWNS
ARTA’s Cleanroom Committee began work in 2015 on an LCA comparing disposable and reusable cleanroom coveralls. LCAs on isolation and surgical gowns were undertaken in 2017 with the formation of the ARTA LCA Committee.
To conduct the LCA research, ARTA partnered with Environmental Clarity, a firm specializing in LCAs, as well as several supplier members and the International Association for Healthcare Textile Management (IAHTM).
To date, two of the three LCAs have been accepted by peer-review journals. The Cleanroom Coverall LCA is running in The PDA Journal this summer, and the ARTA-IAHTM Isolation Gown LCA has been accepted by the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC). AJIC will run the isolation gown LCA this summer, but it is also available online. We’ve submitted the ARTA-IAHTM surgical gown LCA for peer-review and await news of acceptance.
Why is ARTA spearheading these LCAs and why is peer review so important? In the world of research, a study isn’t considered valid unless it’s published in a peer-reviewed journal. Without the external seal of approval that peer review provides, scientists consider any research results presented as preliminary, potentially flawed, and generally the same status as a press release.
Because disposable competitors have unlimited dollars to market their products and we don’t, it’s critical our messages have the credibility peer-reviewed research provides. These LCAs are creating a factual, scientific record that disposable competitors cannot deny.
WHAT THE LCAs REVEAL
“The results of each LCA conducted support the conclusions from six other reusable/disposable studies that showed reusables provide a significant improvement in energy, environmental footprint, water, and energy-associated emissions,” says Michael Overcash, Ph.D., lead researcher for Environmental Clarity, the firm ARTA partnered with on the LCAs.
The LCAs studied disposable and reusable items from their inception as raw materials in the earth to manufacture of the product, to use/reuse, then to final end-of-life disposition. The end-of-life phases included landfill for both reusable and disposable gowns. Recovery of lost instruments was also included for disposable surgical gowns, as instruments are often sent to the landfill with disposable drapes, towels and gowns. A second end-of-life scenario was considered for reusable gowns in which the gowns were reused in other industries. Transportation was included within each of the applicable stages of the life cycle.
The scope and the results emphasize transparent, science-based life cycle analyses. The following is a summary of data from the three LCAs.
Cleanroom Coverall LCA
The study found that choosing reusable cleanroom coveralls instead of disposable alternatives (two types studied) has a significant positive effect on the environment. Reusable cleanroom coveralls provide:
- 56% lower natural resource energy consumption.
- 57% lower greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent).
- 77% lower total water consumed (blue water).
- 95% reduction in solid waste stream at the cleanroom facility (not including reuse after 50 cycles).
Two representative market leading disposable coveralls—a flash spunbonded high-density polyethylene (HDPE) coverall and a spunbond-meltblown-spunbond polypropylene (PP) coverall—were compared with a representative market-leading reusable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) coverall. The HDPE coverall was found to be 43% lower in natural resource energy consumption and 41% lower in CO2 equivalent emissions than the PP coverall. The water consumption for the HDPE coverall was 12% lower than the PP coverall.
ARTA-IAHTM Isolation Gown LCA
The study found that choosing reusable isolation gowns instead of disposable alternatives decreases the environmental footprint by:
- 28% lower natural resource energy consumption.
- 30% lower greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent).
- 41% lower total water consumed (blue water).
- 93-99% lower solid waste generation at healthcare facility. End users can count these improvements as a credit toward improving their sustainability programs.
In this study, an isolation gown was defined as a single-piece, size extra-large (XL) or one-size-fits-most, long-sleeve, tie-up garment. The functional unit, or basis of comparison, was 1,000 isolation gown uses in a healthcare setting. For the reusable gowns, this was 16.7 new gowns each used for 60 cycles, while for the disposable gowns this was 1,000 new gowns. Two market representative ANSI/AAAMI Level 1 isolation gowns were investigated: a reusable polyester gown and a disposable nonwoven gown.
ARTA-IAHTM Surgical Gown LCA
The study found that choosing reusable surgical gowns instead of disposable alternatives decreases the environmental footprint by:
- 64% lower natural resource energy consumption.
- 66% lower greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent).
- 87% lower total water consumed (blue water).
- 83% lower solid waste generation at healthcare facility. End users can count these improvements as a credit toward improving their sustainability programs.
In this study, surgical gowns were first defined as single-piece, size extra-large (XL) or one-size-fits-most, long-sleeve tie-up garments with ANSI/AAMI Level 3 barrier protection rating. The functional unit, or basis of comparison, was 1,000 surgical gown uses in an operating room setting. For the reusable gowns, this was 16.7 new gowns each used for 60 cycles while for the disposable gowns this was 1,000 new gowns. The reusable surgical gown market was compared to the disposable surgical gown market based on a set of representative gowns.
CONCLUSION
Recent LCA research speaks for itself. Reusable textiles offer tremendous advantages for the marketplace, advantages that often go unrecognized in 2018. But our world is changing and with that change is opportunity to position and re-affirm reusable textiles as a means to battle water scarcity, reduce waste stream and lower carbon emissions.
ARTA remains committed to provide data and resources that help members sell reusable textiles—today and in the future—because the future is not disposable.
Miss part one defining life cycle assessments and their importance? Click here to read it.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].