Medical equipment has now joined the recycling movement

You might think twice before throwing out that old ventilator machine. Medical equipment has now joined the recycling movement, with sales even found on eBay, Inc.

A new article in Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology describes this emerging industry.

You might think twice before throwing out that old ventilator machine. Medical equipment has now joined the recycling movement, with sales even found on eBay, Inc. A new article in Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology describes this emerging industry. BI&T is the bi-monthly journal of Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.

In 1998, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated a joint partnership to reduce the volume of waste in hospitals 50 percent by 2010. Hospitals and health care facilities are joining this initiative by adopting waste policies. Policy options include recycling, reuse through donation, reprocessing, refurbishing, and reselling medical equipment.

The two main reasons for these electronic waste, or e-waste, policies are environmental issues and budget considerations. One agency, Alliance Medical Corporation in Phoenix, Arizona, wrote on its Web site that they help eliminate as much as 7,000 tons of medical waste from landfills, and they project savings this year of more than $92 million in supply expenses to their customers.

An added benefit of the recycling trend is the transfer of needed supplies to developing countries. Nonprofit organizations such as the Liberian Association of Pennsylvania (representing the Republic of Liberia, where a 14-year civil war damaged every hospital) and International Aid (a Christian relief and development agency that provides and supports health care solutions throughout the world) send used medical equipment overseas.

"We take our advanced healthcare system for granted. It is truly remarkable how the donation of even one simple medical device can improve the level of healthcare to thousands of needy people in developing nations," said Jim Loeffler, medical equipment procurement manager for International Aid.

As with all used equipment, safety is a key issue. Buying a reliable used product in the lifesaving business carries considerable weight. Doing research and buying products that have guarantees are two ways to ensure the quality of used equipment.