Authors:   De Sousa F, Martin D and Grimmond T

Publication:   Healthcare Infection 2014, Volume 19, Issue 3, September 2014 : Pages 76-80

Summary: 

What was the study? 

The 3 year study ‘The impact of a liner-less reusable medical waste container system on costs, waste volumes and infection risk in an Australian acute-care hospital’ examined the impact of transitioning from a 64Gallon bin to a Daniels M64 Medismart; a 17Gallon linerless reusable medical waste container system.

What were the results?

The Medismart Medical Waste Container System:

• Was strongly preferred by staff
• Decreased Medical waste disposal costs by 30.9%
• Decreased Labor costs by 69.2%
• Decreased Medical waste mass & volume by 53.2% and 65.2% respectively
• Was more space efficient and logistically superior
• Improved waste segregation
• Reduced infection risk and staff sharps injury risk
• Eliminated the issues previously noted with the 64 gallon bin system.
   

The study found that the use of a smaller 17 gallon linerless, reusable medical waste container system, through its design and operation, has the potential to reduce medical waste volumes, increase labor efficiencies, decrease costs and minimize infection potential and sharps injury risk, all of which improve the quality of health care."

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