Improving Waste Segregation in the Operating Room to Decrease Overhead Cost

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Operating rooms (ORs) disproportionally contribute 20% to 33% of hospital waste nationwide and therefore have a major impact on hospital waste management. Seventy percent of general OR waste is incorrectly eliminated as clinical waste, which compounds unnecessary financial burden and produces negative environmental impact. The primary purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate the effectiveness of waste segregation education for OR anesthesia staff on improving waste segregation compliance in the OR. Methods: A waste segregation QI project was implemented at a 19-OR hospital. Sharps bins in each OR were monitored for weight in pounds and 6 ORs were monitored for percent compliance both pre-and post-institution of a waste segregation education. In addition, a waste segregation knowledge assessment, waste segregation barriers assessment, and a demographic survey were administered to anesthesia staff. Twenty-two certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), 13 anesthesiologists, and 4 anesthesia technicians responded to the initial surveys and assessments while 30 of these original 39 participants (77%) responded following the educational intervention. A cost analysis was calculated pre-and post-implementation by multiplying total weight of the sharps bins by the price per pound of sharps. Results: Twenty-three percent of participants reported having formal waste segregation training. Survey responses revealed that the greatest barrier to waste segregation involved bin location (56.4%), followed by lack of time to segregate (25.6%), lack of knowledge of what content goes in the bin (25.6%), and lack of incentive (25.6%). A waste segregation knowledge assessment showed improvement from pre-(M = 9.18, SD = 1.66) to post-implementation (M = 9.90, SD = 1.64). Pre-implementation sharps bin compliance was 50.70% while postimplementation bin compliance improved to 58.44%. A 27.64% decrease in sharps disposal cost occurred following implementation, which is estimated to produce a $2964 cost savings per year. Conclusions: Waste segregation education for anesthesia staff increased their waste management knowledge, improved sharps waste bin compliance, and produced an overall cost savings.

Waste Segregation Practice in Operating Theatres and Endoscopy Suites Survey in Australasian Hospitals: A Perspective from Anaesthesia and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Nurses

“…Lastly, potentially higher costs associated with biodegradable and compostable items compared to non-environmentally friendly alternatives present a barrier to switching to more sustainable options. Similar obstacles have been reported in previous studies, including issues related to bin placement, increased workload due to segregation tasks, insufficient knowledge and incentives, absence of effective leadership, inadequate data, negative staff attitudes, resistance to change, and cost considerations [24][25][26][27][28][29].…”

“…Prioritising waste segregation training is essential and can yield significant benefits in terms of compliance, particularly concerning sharps waste bins, and substantial cost savings. Additional strategies to enhance waste segregation include conducting regular waste audit [24,25,[27][28][29][33][34][35].…”