Authors:   Grimmond T, Jenkinson H, Trevor J, Penfold G, and Cullingford T

Publication:   86% Carbon Emission Reduction with a Reusable Sharps Container, presentation at IPS Prevention 2010, Bournemouth UK, Sept. 2010

Summary: 

What is the article?

This article explores the positive impacts that the Sharpsmart sharps container system had on Winchester & Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust, a 400 bed small acute trust, including a reduction in sharps injuries, a reduction in their carbon footprint, and cost and time savings for staff.

Design and Methods 

A Before/After intervention model was used from a 1,250 bed UK Acute-care Trust which converted from polypropylene disposable sharps containers (Daniels Healthcare, Hertfordshire UK) to an ABS reusable sharps container (Sharpsmart Ltd, Spennymoor UK.) CO2 emissions for all life stages were calculated using internationally accepted unit energy consumptions over the course of 10 years. Data was analyzed using CHI2 and significance set at p ≤ 0.05. 

What did we learn?

As a result of studying the 1,250 bed UK acute-care Trust, the following was concluded:

• Disposable sharps container systems produced 182.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year
• Reusable sharps container systems produced 25.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year
• 466,190 disposable sharps containers were manufactured over 10 years
• 1,659 reusable sharps containers were manufactured over 10 years
• Overall, resuable sharps containers improved the UK acute-care Trust's sustainability efforts and waste reduction

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