18643 Elis Thread LCA Supplement[2] - Flipbook - Page 8
The first ever
UK-based
Life Cycle
Analysis
On average, the global
warming potential (carbon
footprint) of an Elis reusable
gown was found to be
87% lower
Elis has now commissioned an independent cradleto-end-of-life (CTEOL) assessment to investigate the
environmental impact of reusable surgical textiles in
relation to disposable counterparts specifically in the
UK. This is the first study of its kind to be carried out
here, and the results have been published.
This is the first study of its kind to be carried out here,
and the results have been published11. Conducted
by The Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures - a
collaboration between The Grantham Foundation for
the Protection of the Environment and The University
of Sheffield – the research was carried out in
compliance with ISO14040 ISO14044 and the
Product Environmental Footprint.
The results provide a detailed analysis of carbon
emissions at each stage of a gown’s lifecycle, comparing
the environmental impacts of Elis reusable hospital
gowns (standard protection and high protection) with a
disposable alternative (standard and high protection).
The comprehensive research analysed 19 impact
categories11, with Elis reusable gowns performing better
than their disposable counterparts, showing
that
reusable products have significant potential to reduce
environmental emissions and deliver carbon savings
than disposable alternatives.
On average, the global warming potential (carbon
footprint) of an Elis reusable gown was found to be
87% lower than that of a disposable gown. It was also
shown to generate just 16% to 22% of the mass of waste,
with between 105g and 164g of waste saved for every
reusable gown that is reprocessed. This equates to over
80 tons of waste saved for SP gowns and an average of
almost 15 tons for the HP gowns.
The results of the study were calculated for 30 uses for all
gowns as a base case, with 75 uses compared as the
most realistic scenario. Using a surgical gowns 75 times
resulted in an 8% to 13% decrease in cumulative energy
demand, a 16% - 17% decrease in water consumption
and a 26% - 32% decrease in global warming potential,
highlighting the importance of ensuring gowns remain
in circulation until they have achieved an optimum
number of uses. Depending on regional clinical waste
disposal costs, this could potentially equate to annual
cost savings of between £3,800 and £7,000 based on
customers using 1,000 gowns per week.
than that of
a disposable gown
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