The population in the UK is aging. People are living longer, baby boomers are retiring and the fastest growing age group is over 80. At least 50% of nursing home residents in the UK suffer from incontinence. This number increases to 80% for patients that are non-ambulatory.
How are these products disposed? Mostly, they go to landfill, but some go to incinerators.
Landfill is generally considered the worst option for the environment as it is a waste of valuable resources and methane from biodegradable waste decomposing in landfills is a potent greenhouse gas (21 times more potent than C02). In the UK, approximately 1 million tonnes of AHPs (nappies, incontinence and feminine hygiene products) are produced per annum and end up in landfill.
Incineration is not a viable option because it destroys valuable materials that could be recycled into new products, it doesn’t provide an incentive for reducing waste and it creates pollution. In addition, a nappy has a kilo joule (KJ) value of between 4 and 6. In order to be considered a source of fuel by the EU, an item must have a KJ value of 11 or better.
How many tonnes of incontinence material is your hospital or nursing home producing? It depends on the institution and the demographics of the patients.
If you have a maternity ward, for example, 10% to 15% of clinical waste is made up of disposable nappies. For every 100 maternity beds, 7 to 10 tonnes of waste per year is attributable to disposable nappies.
In a nursing home, the numbers are higher. For every 100 nursing home beds, 13 to 20 tonnes of waste per year is attributable to disposable adult incontinence products. Are real nappies a solution?
Hospitals and nursing homes must consider:
- These items would not be a one time purchase, as nappies will wear out and become unusable.
- The expense of laundering these nappies including the additional impacts of to the environment
- Cross contamination of patients and staff
- Comfort and dignity of adult patients
- Cloth nappies require additional changing time and more frequent changes
- Savings in one department may add to the additional costs incurred in another, thereby realising no true savings
Knowaste has a real solution.
We can help set up a program that includes training for your staff. To find out how we can help, please contact us at: feedback@Knowaste.com
(sources: National Statistics Online, Age and Ageing 2003; British Geriatrics Society, Health Tech Assessment Research on Incontinence Products 2008, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network Management of Urinary Incontinece in Primary Care 2004; Friends of the Earth 2007; NHS Scotland property and Environment Forum 2001-2002; Nappies & the NHS; Women’s Environmental Network 2004)
