Explanations for the increased utilisation of single-use metalware in hospitals include loss of more expensive reusable surgical metalware, high re-sterilisation labour costs and the greater availability of inexpensive single-use items. It is unclear why some devices are labelled as single-use. We compared single-use and reusable metal instruments because stainless steel has a high carbon footprint (4.2 kg CO_2/kg steel) and such steel can be repeatedly sterilised. At two Western Health 600-bed hospitals in Melbourne, Victoria, the purchase cost and weight of simple, single-use metal surgical items rose from AUDollars 6030 (65 kg) for the year 2007 to AUDollars 47,130 (850 kg) in 2010. For the operating suite alone the value and weight rose from AUDollars 2820 (32 kg) in 2007 to AUDollars 8710 (116 kg) in 2010.
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