Product packaging is another important consideration when infection prevention and housekeeping teams in hospitals and similar settings are seeking new ways to improve the sustainability of cleaning and hygiene tasks. There are good reasons, as we have seen, to switch to more sustainable surface disinfectant and cleaning product formulations in concentrated formats. But the maximum sustainability benefits of these are only realised in conjunction with suitable packaging.
Official guidelines and established practices that stipulate the type of surface disinfectants to be used in critical areas of the hospital, and how they are supplied, restrict opportunities for sustainability enhancements in these applications. Away from these areas, however, many hospitals continue to rely on products supplied in traditional bulk chemical and ready-to-use formats that generate a lot of waste, particularly from single use plastic containers and spray bottles.
But many of these products, and alternative formulations, are available in highly concentrated formats where water is added at the point of use, in the hospital, rather than at the place of manufacturer. These systems use dosing or dilution control equipment to fill reusable spray bottles and buckets and the resulting solutions are effective, accurate, and consistent. This leads to a number of sustainability benefits such as enhanced results, less product wastage, and improved productivity when compared with products supplied in ready to use and conventional bulk formats.
Switching to ultra concentrates can, with suitable support from manufacturers including appropriate training, be a relatively simple process. Some hospitals have expressed reservations about swapping to reusable systems because of misconceptions about the potential for cross-contamination or growth of biofilms when equipment is used time and again. In practice there is very little risk as long as users follow basic precautions and guidelines.
One of the biggest sustainability benefits of switching to concentrates is the reduction in packaging and there are three broad reasons why. First, fewer packs are required to support infection prevention and cleaning tasks. Second, products are usually supplied in lightweight packs or pouches that utilise minimal amounts of raw materials. Third, single-use containers and spray bottles are replaced with reusable equivalents.
The savings in materials can be significant. Depending on the specific product and the application, an infection prevention or cleaning team using 100 cases of six 750ml single-use spray bottles could reduce plastic waste by up to 125.6kg (99.6% reduction) and up to 26.6kg less cardboard (98.9% reduction) by switching to concentrates and re-usable bottles.
These savings are impressive but manufacturers are always seeking to make even more improvements for conventional and concentrated products. Wherever possible they use recycled materials to reduce the overall consumption of natural resources. There are, however, a few applications where this is impractical. Food contact packaging, for example, can require ?virgin? plastics to help manufacturers maintain the quality and consistency to meet regulatory requirements. Nevertheless, these considerations rarely apply to disinfectants and other cleaning products used in healthcare settings.
The design of the packaging for all products can also help promote sustainability and support more efficient recycling. Modern packaging is designed to utilise fewer raw materials, whatever the source. This results in smaller and lighter packs which can cost less to manufacturer, transport, handle, and store. Efficient packaging and system design also helps to minimise product wastage. Using all of the product in a pack not only helps to reduce cost-in-use but will also make it generally safer and simpler to handle and recycle empty packs.
Additional supply chain sustainability benefits are available from reducing the number and size of packs by adopting ultra concentrates in modern packaging. These include a reduction in ?chemical miles?: concentrates require fewer transport movements and deliveries than their bulk or ready-to-use equivalent. This can reduce shipping and delivery costs, of course, but also minimises transport related CO2 emissions.
Other supply chain costs such as procurement, handling, and storage are also reduced when fewer and smaller packs are involved. Manufacturers, suppliers, and stockists require less space and fewer vehicles to store and transport their products which is good for the wider environment. And once delivered, products take up less space in cleaning rooms or store cupboards. That space can instead be used for other essential items or reallocated to completely different tasks.
Manufacturers also put considerable effort into making their packaging suitable for recycling, for all types of product. This is not just about recyclable materials but designing packaging to be viable for collection and recycling. Avoiding complex combinations of materials makes it easier to recycle everything. Designs that are easier to dismantle can be separated and sorted more efficiently.
Ultimately the aim of all this product design and innovation is to eliminate any need for packaging ever to end up in landfill or be burned in an incinerator. Nevertheless, recycling is dependent on local infrastructure to collect, sort, and recover packaging materials. These localised limitations mean no manufacturer can guarantee its packaging materials will be recycled everywhere.
Whatever advances are made in materials and recycling, products still need some packaging. The aim is always to promote and support a circular economy. No doubt manufacturers will identify new sustainability opportunities as technologies continue to advance.
Reputable manufacturers will consider sustainability in all their packaging. They will be able to demonstrate the sustainability benefits of their products and systems with modelling tools and calculators using real-world metrics and evidence. Those with proven products and track records in healthcare and related fields can draw on their experience and expertise to work with in-house teams to ensure they meet their sustainability and infection prevention objectives.
Innovations in packaging materials and design for all products offer many opportunities for enhanced sustainability. Switching to new and existing products in concentrated formulations can help infection prevention and housekeeping teams reduce packaging consumption as part of their sustainability goals. With suitable support and appropriate training from manufacturers it can be a relatively simple process. There is no reason why teams cannot maintain, or even improve, their high standards of efficiency and patient safety.