From blood pressure cuffs to surgical instruments to personal protective equipment (PPE), single-use plastics are pervasive in healthcare and contribute to a significant amount of waste daily. Disinfectant wipes are an often-overlooked factor in this problem. A little-known fact, most ready-to-use disinfectant wipes used in U.S. healthcare facilities are made of plastic1. They are distributed in plastic canisters and the wipes themselves are made of plastic. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of plastic waste generated from these wipes comes from the wipes themselves, not the canister2. This means that both the wipes and the canister are contributing to plastic waste challenges, taking hundreds of years to degrade in landfills.
To learn about a new and innovative, plastic-free disinfectant wipe, that can help to improve both the sustainability and operational efficiency of hospitals and health systems, Becker’s Healthcare recently spoke with three experts from Ecolab:
- Greg Peelman, SVP and GM, Healthcare Infection Prevention North America, Global Wipes and Hand Care
- Jonathan Fast, PhD, Senior Staff Scientist, Healthcare Infection Prevention North America
- Karoline Sperling, Clinical Services Manager, Healthcare Infection Prevention North America
Growing interest in sustainability calls for an alternative to disinfectant wipes — the ‘epitome of a single-use plastic’
Disinfectant wipes are found everywhere throughout healthcare settings, from hospitals and clinics to nursing homes and home care. Staff use these wipes to clean medical equipment, disinfect operating rooms between cases, clean public areas and much more.
“These wipes are the epitome of a single-use plastic,” Dr. Fast said. “You wipe a surface for five or ten seconds and then throw it away. We’ve calculated that the disinfectant wipes used in North American healthcare facilities in one year would wrap around the globe 58 times1.”
An alternative to plastic disinfectant wipes is needed, especially as healthcare industry awareness around sustainability is growing, and many hospitals and health systems are pursuing green initiatives. “There’s a ton of waste in hospitals,” Ms. Sperling said. “Hospital leaders and the front lines are hungry for healthcare to be more sustainable.”
For example, major health systems are creating leadership roles to advance sustainability projects (think: recycling initiatives, diverting food waste and removing certain anesthetic gasses) and installing solar panels. The Joint Commission has created a Sustainable Healthcare Certification, and Practice Greenhealth bestows a range of awards to facilities that have embraced sustainable practices.
Healthcare organizations that embrace such practices can not only see cost savings and improved operational efficiencies, but they also experience increased trust and loyalty among patients, staff and the community.
“Strong sustainability practices can help healthcare organizations attract and retain top talent, comply with changing environmental regulations and foster innovation and research collaborations,” Mr. Peelman said.
Ecolab is the first company to offer innovative, 100% plastic free3 disinfectant wipes, complete with one minute hospital disinfection, for healthcare
Ecolab has developed the first Environmental Protection Agency registered wipe with one-minute hospital disinfection, made with a substrate derived 100% from wood pulp fibers. The wipe substrate is 100% plastic free and readily degradable.
“What makes a hospital disinfectant wipe different from a consumer wipe is the number of organisms that it kills, as well as the lower contact times and effective cleaning capability needed for a hospital environment,” Dr. Fast said. “The innovation with Ecolab’s new product is bringing a wipe substrate, derived 100% from woodpulp fibers, together with broad spectrum hospital disinfection. Those elements hadn’t previously come together in the US hospital market.”
When it comes to hospital disinfectant wipes, factors like kill claims and contact time are especially important. Organizations need to consider whether a wipe will kill the pathogens of interest, based on emerging diseases and local epidemiology. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are particularly important to many hospitals and health systems.
“Ecolab’s readily degradable disinfectant wipe uses an EPA registered disinfectant with broad spectrum kill claims against 40+ organisms and emerging pathogens6, and provides healthcare workers with the opportunity to help mitigate the risk of hospital acquired infections.” Ms. Sperling said.
Contact time refers to how long a surface must remain wet to kill the pathogens of interest. Some disinfectants require longer contact times than others; the contact time for Ecolab’s new readily degradable wipe is one minute, with some claims taking as little time as 30-seconds (for SARS-CoV-2 for example). “ In healthcare, long contact times are not practical and it is critical for a surface to remain wet for the recommended contact time, in order to ensure efficacy,” Ms. Sperling said.
Ecolab’s 100% plastic-free3 wipes help improve sustainability and operational efficiency for healthcare facilities
With a canister of traditional hospital disinfectant wipes, the wipes themselves represent almost 60% of the plastic2, and the packaging represents the remaining 40%. Ecolab’s new readily degradable disinfectant wipe addresses these sources of single-use plastic waste in two ways.
First, the wipes themselves are 100% plastic-free3.
Second, the soft pack offers a 90%+ reduction in plastic compared to the leading supplier’s similarly sized canister3.
By moving to Ecolab’s new product, healthcare organizations can achieve a 90%+ reduction in the plastic associated with disinfectant wipes. “With wipes, the way to address plastic waste is to not make them out of plastic in the first place,” Dr. Fast said. “By using substrate derived 100% from wood-pulp fibers, our disinfectant wipe never has the opportunity to become plastic waste.”
ASTM D5511 is an accelerated landfill biodegradation test, with optimal test conditions, that enables a direct comparison of materials in a controlled environment. Under these test conditions the Ecolab Disinfectant 1 Wipe, with plastic-free substrate, achieved 94.3% relative biodegradation in 15 days By comparison the disinfectant wipe with plastic-based substrate achieved 0.6% relative biodegradation after 75 days. “Using those test methods, the plant-based wipe breaks down approximately 800 times faster than the plastic wipe4,” Dr. Fast said. “In a landfill, the plastic wipe will virtually never break down.”
In addition to these sustainability-related benefits, Ecolab’s readily degradable disinfectant wipe delivers greater operational efficiency to healthcare organizations. One of the biggest differences with a wipe substrate derived from wood-pulp fibers is that the wipes are more absorbent and also distribute chemical much more effectively across surfaces than wipes made with plastic substrates.
“A person can cover a much greater surface area with one of our new wipes made with wood-pulp fibers than with a plastic wipe,” Dr. Fast said. “Fewer wipes are needed to get the same job done. Not only does that improve operational efficiency, it also means that fewer wipes go into the garbage when the cleaning is done.”
Ecolab recently partnered with one hospital, part of a larger academic health system, on a wipes study, which investigated how moving to the 100% wood-pulp based wipe solution in the operating room would affect single-use plastic and cardboard waste. Over the course of the study, this hospital saw a 36% reduction in total wipes used5. In another study, a 60% reduction in total wipe utilization was observed, compared to the market leading plastic-based wipe6. If the same results were realized across this entire health system, based on the total amount of disinfectant wipes being used, this particular health system could potentially eliminate nearly 40-60 metric tons of single-use plastic waste, annually, from landfills – equivalent to between half a million and one million two-liter plastic bottles.
Looking ahead, sustainability initiatives in healthcare are only expected to grow
Ecolab is committed to helping protect the environment, addressing social concerns and adhering to responsible policies and practices.
“Many people at Ecolab want to make a difference in the world,” Dr. Fast said. “The impact of businesses and industries on sustainability has a multiplier effect. If we develop solutions that benefit broad sectors like mining, automotive, manufacturing or healthcare, they create a bigger, positive impact at scale than individuals can make by themselves.”
By aligning with its core values of people health, planet health and business health, Ecolab continues to drive innovation and sustainability in the healthcare sector.
“In the sphere of people health, the company anticipates a shift toward more sustainable healthcare practices that help to safeguard patient well-being, such as the use of non-toxic materials and lower emission medical equipment,” Mr. Peelman said.
Planet health considerations are driving innovation in water stewardship, with Ecolab leading the charge to help healthcare facilities implement water reduction, reuse and recycling practices. “Much like water conservation, single-use plastic reductions represent a significant opportunity for healthcare providers to enhance their sustainability profiles, while also achieving cost savings and operational efficiencies — all key aspects of business health,” Mr. Peelman said.
Embracing a sustainability mindset is good for both the planet and for healthcare organizations. Ecolab’s new, 100% plastic-free3 disinfectant hospital wipe is a great example of how innovative product development can help to create safer patient environments7 and greater operational efficiency, while reducing the volume of single-use plastics being sent into the healthcare waste stream.
“Ecolab is eager to partner with healthcare organizations to create a holistic approach to sustainability that benefits patient care, the environment and the healthcare industry’s bottom line,” Mr. Peelman said. “We’re committed to sustainable practices, digital innovations and progressive approaches that support global public health and environmental well-being.”
Request a sample at Ecolab.com/offerings/disinfectant-wipes
1. 2023 DRG data & internal calculations used to determine total wipe volume.
2. Based on product specifications of a 6” x 6.7” wipe, with 34 gsm substrate, 160 wipes per canister and combined canister and lid mass of 100 g.
3. Wipe substrate is 100% plastic-free. Soft pack packaging comprised of plastic. Represents a 90%+ reduction in total plastic compared to the total plastic mass of a wipe canister containing 160 plastic wipes.
4. ASTM D5511 quantitative third-party laboratory tests performed have demonstrated 94.3% relative biodegradation in 15 days of accelerated landfill testing, for the Ecolab Disinfectant 1 Wipe, made with substrate derived 100% from wood pulp fibers and 0.6% relative biodegradation for a standard plastic-based wipe under the same test conditions. Actual rates of degradation will vary based on landfill conditions.
5. Research conducted over a 4-week period in the OR of an acute care facility demonstrated a reduction in wipes used when compared to a market leading alcohol-based wipe. Actual results will vary based on operating conditions. Ecolab research available upon request.
6. Research conducted over a 4-week period in the OR of an ambulatory surgery center demonstrated a reduction in wipes used when compared to the market leading alcohol-based wipe. Actual results will vary based on operating conditions. Ecolab research available upon request.
7. Disinfectant 1 Wipe, EPA Reg. No. 1677-263, refer to product label for use directions.