White Paper
Sustainable Materials and Design Innovations in Instrument Sterilizers and Bedpan Washer-Disinfectors
August 2025
Disclaimer
This content is provided for information only. The authors make no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness or currency of the content. No information in this whitepaper should be construed as medical advice. Readers should seek appropriate professional guidance before acting on any information contained in this document. The authors expressly disclaim all liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage arising from the use of or reliance on this information.
Introduction
Healthcare facilities worldwide are seeking to reduce their environmental footprint, and critical equipment like surgical instrument sterilizers (steam autoclaves) and bedpan washer-disinfectors are coming under scrutiny. These devices are essential for infection control, but they also consume significant resources (energy, water, materials) over their lifecycles. This whitepaper examines how sustainable materials and innovative design strategies can improve the environmental performance of sterilizers and bedpan washers. We analyze the lifecycle impacts of using recyclable components, review relevant LCA data on emissions and waste, and explore implications for manufacturing standards and procurement guidelines. Specific guidance is provided for manufacturers, hospital procurement officers, and regulatory bodies, with actionable recommendations for each. The goal is to align infection control technology with circular economy principles – achieving high hygiene standards while minimizing environmental impact.
Sustainable Materials in Sterilizers and Disinfectors
Modern sterilizers and washer-disinfectors are increasingly built with recyclable, sustainable materials that lower their lifecycle impact. Chief among these is stainless steel, used for chambers, piping, and structural components due to its corrosion resistance and durability. Stainless steel is not only long-lasting but also highly recyclable, it can be recycled indefinitely without loss of performance. In fact, most new stainless steel products contain a large share of recycled scrap; using recycled stainless steel in manufacturing consumes roughly 60 to 70% less energy and generates 70 to 80% fewer CO₂ emissions compared to using virgin metal. This translates into about 4.3 tonnes of CO2 saved per tonne of stainless steel produced from scrap. Leading manufacturers have capitalized on this advantage, for example, one autoclave producer reports its sterilizers are made with up to 90% post-consumer recycled steel, dramatically cutting embodied energy and carbon. High global recycling rates of stainless, estimated around 85 to 90% recovery mean end-of-life units are very likely to re-enter the material stream rather than become waste.
Other recyclable metals like aluminum are sometimes used in casings or heat exchangers and offer similar recyclability benefits. Plastics and polymers in these devices for panels, gaskets, plumbing historically have been less eco-friendly, but newer approaches aim to improve their sustainability as well. Some manufacturers are shifting toward recycled plastics or bio-based polymers for non-critical components, and importantly, designing plastic parts to be easily identifiable and removable for recycling. Avoidance of hazardous substances per RoHS directives means modern equipment is generally free of heavy metals in coatings or solders, facilitating safer material recovery. In sum, selecting materials with recycled content and end-of-life recyclability, especially stainless steel yields a double benefit: lower production impacts and reduced waste generation.
Modern hospital sterilizers are often built with high-grade stainless steel for longevity and hygiene. Stainless steel’s durability and 100% recyclability allow these units to achieve long service lives and be efficiently recycled at end-of-life. Using recycled stainless steel in manufacturing can cut energy use by ~60% to 70% and CO2 emissions by ~70% to 80% compared to virgin metal, significantly reducing the device’s embodied carbon.
Design Strategies for Improved Environmental Performance
Beyond material selection, innovative design strategies are critical to improving the environmental performance of sterilization equipment. Key design principles include modularity, repairability, ease of disassembly, and material separation, all aimed at extending product life and facilitating end-of-life recycling or refurbishment. In practice, this means designing machines as a collection of easily separable modules or components, rather than monolithic sealed units. For example, a sterilizer might have a modular steam generator, control unit, and chamber, each of which can be individually replaced or upgraded. This modularity ensures that if one subsystem fails or becomes obsolete, it can be swapped out without scrapping the entire machine, reducing waste and cost. Likewise, repairability is enhanced by providing access panels, standard fasteners, and detailed service manuals so that maintenance staff can readily replace worn seals, heating elements, sensors, and other parts. Some modern autoclaves feature “easy-assemble” panel systems that minimize welding and use screws or clips instead, making it simpler to disassemble for repairs or at end-of-life.
Design for disassembly and material separation means that different material types (steel, copper, plastic, electronics) can be separated without undue effort when the unit is retired. This can be achieved by avoiding permanent bonding of dissimilar materials, clearly labeling plastics by type, and using modular sub-assemblies. Philips Engineering, for instance, emphasizes design features like “disassembly, diagnostics, modularity, standardization” as part of a circular product strategy in medical equipment. In sterilizers and washer-disinfectors, this could translate to choices like using stainless steel inner liners instead of plastic coatings (so the metal is recoverable and no paint stripping is needed), or mounting electronic controls such that they can be removed as a single unit for recycling.
Another crucial strategy is design for longevity and upgradability. Environmental impact is strongly tied to how long a device remains in service, a durable sterilizer that runs reliably for 15 to 20 years obviously amortizes its manufacturing footprint over a longer time and postpones the need for a replacement and the associated manufacturing emissions of a new unit. Thus, building robust machines and offering upgrades for example, software updates or retrofittable water-saving devices keeps equipment effective and in use longer. Standardization of parts is also beneficial: if a common pump or valve is used across a product line, it’s easier to stock spares and repair rather than replace devices.
Finally, sustainable design extends to process and use-phase innovations that cut resource consumption. Features like energy-saving modes, heat recovery systems, and water recirculation are now common in cutting-edge designs. For instance, some autoclaves include an “Eco” mode that automatically idles or powers down the steam generator when not in use, akin to a sleep mode on a computer, which saves energy during idle periods. Others have integrated heat exchangers to reclaim heat from the exhaust and pre-warm incoming water. In bedpan washer-disinfectors, designs often incorporate automatic dosing and efficient spray systems to optimize cleaning with minimal water and chemical use. Touch-free operation via foot pedals or sensors is another innovation that, while aimed at infection control, also helps prevent wastage (doors not being left open, etc.) and improves safety. All these design elements, from modular construction to smart controls, work together to reduce the environmental burden throughout the device’s lifecycle while maintaining strict performance and safety standards.
Lifecycle Assessment: Emissions, Energy, and Waste Impacts
A holistic look at the environmental footprint of sterilizers and bedpan washers requires lifecycle assessment (LCA) of their production, use, and end-of-life phases. Studies consistently find that, for energy-intensive medical equipment, the use phase dominates the carbon footprint. In the case of a hospital steam sterilizer (autoclave), one LCA found about 84% of the device’s total carbon footprint comes from the use phase (primarily the electricity or steam needed to reach sterilization temperatures). This makes sense: an autoclave operates at ~134 °C, often multiple cycles per day, consuming significant steam or power over years of service. Therefore, improvements in energy efficiency during operation yield the greatest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Features like automatic shutdown, better insulation to reduce heat loss, and shorter cycle options for partial loads can drastically cut energy use. One manufacturer’s data shows that equipping sterilizers with scheduling and auto-idle features to turn off heating when idle plus jacket cooling can meaningfully reduce both energy and HVAC loads in facilities.
Water consumption is another important impact. Traditional large autoclaves can use enormous amounts of water, not only to generate steam but also to cool the hot effluent before it goes down the drain. Many building codes require sterilizer discharge to be cooled to avoid damaging plumbing. In fact, a single older-model autoclave might use up to ∼6,000 L of water per day for cooling and steam generation. Modern water-saving designs address this by using recirculating chillers or heat exchangers to cool discharge water, or by capturing and reusing water for multiple cycles. Bedpan washer-disinfectors also use water for flushing and thermal disinfection; a typical cycle might use on the order of 40 to 50 liters. Efficient models use sensor-controlled cycles to avoid excess water, and some incorporate built-in filters and separators to manage waste so that only the necessary fresh water is used for cleaning. Overall, reducing water usage not only conserves a resource but also cuts the energy needed to heat that water.
When it comes to materials and waste, sustainable design choices again pay dividends across the lifecycle. Using recycled materials, as noted, lowers manufacturing impacts. Each tonne of recycled stainless steel avoids ~4.3 tonnes CO2 emissions from production. Additionally, enabling recyclability at end-of-life means the device’s materials can serve as feedstock for new products instead of becoming medical waste. Compliance with regulations like the EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive ensures manufacturers design equipment to be taken back and recycled. This involves providing information on disassembly and material composition to recycling facilities, and often taking responsibility for recovering old units. As a result, the disposal phase of newer equipment can be transformed from a waste generator to a source of secondary materials.
It’s also important to consider comparative lifecycle impacts of different waste-management approaches in hospitals. A prime example is the contrast between using bedpan washer-disinfectors versus disposable bedpan systems (macerators). Macerators shred single-use pulp bedpans and flush them, which increases solid waste and sewer load. They eliminate the washing process, but studies show that overall they generate more waste and resource consumption than reusing bedpans via washers. Each disposable bedpan must be manufactured using raw materials, energy and transported, only to be used once. A busy ward can consume thousands of pulp bedpans a month, creating a continuous waste stream. By contrast, a reusable bedpan (plastic or stainless) can be disinfected repeatedly in a washer, drastically cutting the volume of waste. One evaluation noted that choosing washer-disinfectors in place of macerators “dramatically reduces the consumption of single-use plastics (or pulp)”, easing the burden on waste treatment and reducing the hospital’s overall carbon footprint. There is a trade-off in water and energy use for washing, but modern bedpan washers are designed to minimize these through short, high-efficiency cycles. On balance, reuse tends to be more resource-efficient and aligns with circular economy principles, provided the washers themselves are efficient and used properly.
A healthcare worker uses a bedpan washer-disinfector, enabling the reuse of bedpans instead of disposables. Deploying washer-disinfectors significantly cuts down on waste, as disposable single-use bedpans are no longer needed. Modern designs also emphasize water and energy efficiency, for example, automated cleaning cycles and thermal disinfection precisely control resources to meet hygiene standards with minimal environmental impact.
In summary, lifecycle data highlights that use-phase efficiency (energy and water) is paramount for reducing emissions, while material circularity addresses end-of-life waste. Sustainable innovations target both: cutting operational resource use thereby emissions and costs and designing products that feed into recycling or remanufacturing loops rather than the landfill. The net effect is a substantial reduction in total lifecycle impact, making these critical devices much “greener” without compromising their vital healthcare role.
Influences on Manufacturing Standards and Regulations
The push for sustainability in medical equipment is beginning to be reflected in industry standards and regulatory frameworks. Manufacturers are increasingly expected not just to meet performance and safety standards, but also to consider environmental criteria in design and production. One notable example is the international standard IEC 60601-1-9, which provides requirements for the environmentally conscious design of medical electrical equipment. The goal of this standard is to “protect the environment and people by reducing the consumption of natural resources and minimizing the environmental impact of waste” over the product’s entire life cycle. IEC 60601-1-9 calls for manufacturers to integrate environmental considerations from the earliest design stages through end-of-life, including assessing factors like material hazards, energy consumption, emissions, and disposal impacts. While compliance with this eco-design standard is still voluntary in many jurisdictions, it’s not yet a mandatory harmonized standard for medical CE marking, it signals the direction of future regulations. Forward-thinking companies are using it as a framework to establish internal processes for green design, identifying significant environmental aspects, setting objectives to reduce impacts, and documenting improvements. The standard even suggests that early adoption of environmental design principles can spur innovation and yield cost savings in the long run.
In the broader regulatory landscape, medical devices including sterilizers and disinfectors fall under a web of requirements aimed at specific environmental issues. For example, in the European Union such equipment must comply with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive eliminating lead, mercury, and other toxic substances in electronics, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation for chemical safety, the WEEE directive for electronics end-of-life management, and possibly packaging waste directives for shipping materials. These regulations collectively push manufacturers to use cleaner materials and facilitate recycling programs. In practice, compliance means a sterilizer cannot use lead-based solder, must have labeling and take-back systems for electronic components, and should minimize unnecessary packaging, among other measures. Manufacturing quality standards like ISO 13485 for medical device quality management are also increasingly incorporating sustainability aspects as part of risk management and corporate responsibility, although not as core requirements yet. Some manufacturers voluntarily obtain ISO 14001 certification (environmental management systems) for their factories, signaling a commitment to reducing waste and emissions in production.
We are also seeing industry-specific guidelines emerge. In infection control equipment, organizations such as AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) have begun discussions on sustainable practices, and the European EN 15883 standard governing washer-disinfectors may see future updates to include water or energy efficiency benchmarks. There is precedent in other sectors e.g. lab refrigeration units now often have energy consumption standards that could translate to sterilizers: for instance, setting a maximum allowable energy use per cycle for a given chamber size, or a maximum water consumption per disinfection cycle. Ecodesign regulations, which in the EU have mandated efficiency improvements in appliances from refrigerators to industrial equipment, could be extended to hospital devices as policy focus on healthcare emissions grows. Regulators are recognizing that hospitals are large energy and resource consumers, and so hospital equipment might be the next frontier for efficiency standards or labeling.
Another avenue of influence is environmental labeling and procurement criteria that effectively create de facto standards. One example mentioned earlier is the ACT Environmental Impact Factor label (by My Green Lab) for laboratory equipment, which assesses a product on various sustainability metrics such as energy use, water use, packaging, materials, end-of-life. Several autoclave models now carry ACT labels, which gives purchasers a transparent scorecard of their environmental impact. Similarly, programs like ENERGY STAR if expanded to lab or medical equipment or the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) could provide benchmarks that manufacturers design towards. In summary, sustainable design innovations are gradually influencing the “rules of the game”, from voluntary standards like IEC 60601-1-9 to possible future mandated criteria. Regulatory bodies are signaling that issues such as resource efficiency, circularity, and carbon footprint will increasingly be part of what defines a “state of the art” medical device. Manufacturers who anticipate these changes by building sustainability into their products now will have an easier time complying with future standards and may gain a competitive edge as the market shifts toward greener healthcare technology.
Procurement Guidance for Sustainable Healthcare Equipment
Hospital and clinic procurement officers have a powerful role in driving sustainability by choosing equipment that meets environmental goals. Procurement guidelines can be updated to include specific sustainability criteria for sterilizers and bedpan washers, ensuring that the devices purchased align with the institution’s carbon reduction and waste minimization targets. Here are key considerations and guidance for procuring these devices sustainably:
Require Environmental Performance Data: When soliciting bids or evaluating models, ask vendors to provide data on energy and water consumption per cycle, as well as any available lifecycle environmental assessments or Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). For sterilizers, metrics like kWh per sterilization cycle or annual water usage at typical loads are critical. For washer-disinfectors, liters of water per wash cycle and any chemical consumables per cycle should be disclosed. Comparing these figures helps identify the most resource-efficient option, which often will translate to cost savings over time as well. For example, a high-capacity washer that can process more items per cycle or a sterilizer with short-cycle options can improve throughput while using fewer resources. Procurees should favor models with documented utility savings, e.g. a unit that offers water savings and short cycles to maximize productivity while reducing utilities.
Include Sustainability as Weighted Criteria: Develop a scoring system in RFPs that gives weight to sustainability features. This can include the presence of specific design features like heat recovery systems, automatic idle shutoff, Energy Star or ACT label certification, use of recycled materials in construction, and end-of-life take-back programs. As an example, a tender could specify that X points will be given for devices that use at least 50% recycled content in major metal parts, or for devices that have an independent green certification. This encourages suppliers to highlight and improve those aspects. Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth provide templates for sustainable procurement that emphasize such criteria like PVC-free construction, absence of hazardous chemicals, etc., which could be relevant if chemical disinfectants or plastic materials are involved in the device.
Consider Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Sustainable devices often have a higher upfront cost but prove cheaper over their lifetime. Procurement should evaluate not just the purchase price, but the operational costs (energy, water, consumables) and disposal costs. An energy-hungry sterilizer can cost a hospital far more in utility bills over 10 years than the price difference of a more efficient model. Similarly, a bedpan washer that reduces the need for buying thousands of disposable pulp bedpans yearly will save significant money on supplies and waste disposal fees. A cost analysis by a UK hospital, for instance, found that while a washer-disinfector had higher initial cost than a macerator, the long-term savings from not purchasing disposables and from avoiding clogging issues were substantial. Procurement guidelines should thus require a TCO analysis for equipment, incorporating energy at local rates and projected maintenance. Often, the greener choice yields the lowest TCO when all factors are considered, especially with rising water and energy costs.
Demand Durability and Support: Longevity is a key aspect of sustainability. Ensure the vendor provides a strong warranty and has a service plan for maintenance and repairs or training for your in-house technicians. Ask about expected lifespan and whether the manufacturer supports older models with spare parts. A device that can run for 15 years with periodic part replacements is far preferable to one that might be obsolete in 5 to 7 years. Some procurement specs include a requirement like “must guarantee spare parts availability for at least 10 years”. This pushes manufacturers toward repairable designs and signals that the hospital values long-term use. It also prevents premature disposal of otherwise functional equipment due to lack of parts.
End-of-Life and Circular Economy: Include clauses about end-of-life responsibility. This could range from requiring the supplier to take back the equipment at end-of-life for refurbishment or recycling to requiring documentation on how the device can be disassembled and which parts are recyclable. Under EU law, producers already have take-back obligations (WEEE), but hospitals can reinforce this by favoring vendors who have clear refurbishment or recycling programs. Some companies offer trade-in programs where old sterilizers can be returned when new ones are bought, this is a positive practice to encourage. Procurement can also consider leasing models (equipment-as-a-service), wherein the vendor retains ownership; this often incentivizes the vendor to design for longevity and take-back, since they will refurbish and redeploy the units. Leasing can align financial and sustainability incentives, as seen with some providers offering sterilizers on lease with maintenance included, ensuring optimal operation and end-of-life management.
Alignment with Sustainability Initiatives: Lastly, the procurement team should ensure any purchase aligns with broader sustainability commitments of the health system, such as achieving carbon neutrality or zero waste by a target year. For example, if the hospital has joined the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals network or similar, procurement can reference those goals and explicitly require that purchased equipment contributes to them e.g. “Devices must contribute to reduction of the facility’s greenhouse gas emissions and water usage in line with our sustainability strategy”. Engaging clinicians and infection control staff in these discussions is also important, the equipment must meet clinical needs first and foremost. But more often we see that sustainability and performance go hand in hand: an autoclave that uses less water and energy still provides excellent sterilization, just more efficiently. Vendors have noted that up-to-date equipment with utility-saving features not only reduces environmental impact but also improves department workflow and staff satisfaction. Thus, emphasizing sustainability in procurement is a way to get modern, high-performance equipment.
By embedding these guidelines, hospital procurement officers can make choices that drive the market toward greener products. Hospitals wield significant purchasing power, if sustainability is consistently part of the spec, manufacturers will respond by delivering innovations to meet those expectations.
Audience-Specific Insights and Recommendations
For Manufacturers
Embrace Eco-Design Fully: Manufacturers of sterilizers and washer-disinfectors should integrate sustainability at every stage, from R&D through production and post-sale services. Conduct a thorough analysis of your product’s lifecycle (per ISO 14040 LCA standards) to identify hotspots: for many, the use phase will be the biggest, but don’t neglect materials and end-of-life. Use this insight to drive innovation in energy efficiency, such as improved insulation, smarter control software, and more efficient pumps or heating elements. Aim to exceed emerging efficiency standards voluntarily. For instance, if your autoclave can operate with 20% less energy or water than the current norm, that is a strong market differentiator as hospitals look to cut utility costs and emissions. Highlight these improvements with data, it builds credibility with environmentally conscious buyers.
Incorporate Recyclable and Recycled Materials: Choose materials with an eye on both upstream and downstream impacts. Increasing the recycled content in metal parts, suppliers can often provide steel or aluminum with specified recycled percentages and document the reduction in carbon footprint this provides. For polymers, seek opportunities to use recycled plastics for non-critical components like exterior panels or base frames, and design those parts for easy identification and recycling. Simplify material types where possible, e.g. use a single type of plastic in the casing instead of a mix, to aid recyclability. Work with your supply chain to eliminate hazardous substances and opt for sustainable alternatives, for example, use water-based paints or powder coatings instead of solvent-based. By making your device out of 80 to 90% recyclable materials by weight, a realistic figure given the steel content you can advertise near “circularity”, especially if you also take the product back at end-of-life.
Design for Modularity, Repair and Upgrade: Engineering teams should prioritize modular design so that major assemblies (electronics, pumps, valves, heating units) can be independently replaced or upgraded. This not only facilitates repairs, reducing downtime for customers but also allows selling future upgrades, for example, a more efficient steam generator that could be retrofitted to older units. Provide detailed service manuals and perhaps even training to biomedical engineers at hospitals, so that they can maintain the equipment longer. Consider offering refurbishment services: e.g. a factory-refurbished sterilizer where you replace worn components and update controls, then either resell or lease it. This “second life” business can open new markets as some customers may prefer a lower-cost refurbished unit, while demonstrating your commitment to a circular economy. Spare parts availability is another marker of sustainability. Commit to stocking or producing spares for a long period. If certain electronic boards become obsolete, ensure there’s an upgrade path or adapter kit. All these practices build customer trust and reduce the churn of devices. They may also become mandatory if right-to-repair regulations expand into medical equipment in the future.
Transparency and Certification: It’s advisable to get ahead on environmental transparency. Consider publishing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for your product or obtaining green certifications. The ACT label mentioned earlier is one such tool that lab equipment makers use; see if it or a similar metric system can apply to your devices. The process of obtaining these labels often highlights areas for improvement and gives you a credible way to communicate sustainability to buyers. Internally, adopt ISO 14001 or similar environmental management systems in your manufacturing operations to systematically reduce waste, energy use, and emissions, this not only improves efficiency (saving costs) but is looked upon favorably in tenders. Many health systems now ask suppliers about their environmental and social governance (ESG) practices, so being able to show a strong sustainability program is a competitive advantage.
Anticipate Regulatory Changes: As noted, regulations are trending toward stricter environmental requirements. By complying with IEC 60601-1-9 eco-design principles now even if not mandated, you’ll be ready when such standards become must-have. Also keep an eye on evolving laws, for instance, the EU’s Green Public Procurement criteria and upcoming Ecodesign directives for sustainable products. Participate in industry groups or standards committees if possible, to help shape realistic standards for your device category. Proactively restrict any substances likely to face bans, for example, certain brominated flame retardants or PFAS chemicals in coatings could be next to regulate. If you operate globally, remember some markets may move faster e.g. some U.S. hospital networks might start requiring medical devices to report environmental data, or countries like Sweden might demand climate declarations for equipment. Being ahead of these trends avoids last-minute redesigns and positions your brand as an industry leader in sustainability.
For Hospital Procurement Officers
Use Procurement Power to Demand Sustainability: Recognize that every RFP or purchase you make can send a signal to the market. Clearly include sustainability requirements in your procurement documents for sterilizers and disinfectors. Even if not all vendors fully meet them yet, the act of asking will push them in the right direction. For example, require bidders to provide the energy and water efficiency features of their equipment, any green certifications, and corporate sustainability commitments. You can ask if the manufacturer has a take-back program, uses recycled materials, or how they minimize packaging. When you consistently favor products that are efficient and eco-designed, you also encourage other suppliers to improve to win future business.
Evaluate Based on Total Impact, Not Just Price: Work towards internal practices of considering total cost of ownership and environmental impact. This might involve collaborating with the facility’s energy manager or sustainability officer to quantify impacts. If your hospital tracks carbon footprint, note that equipment energy use will factor into Scope 2 emissions. By choosing an autoclave with, say, 20% less power consumption, you are contributing to the hospital’s carbon reduction goals. It might be helpful to use a simple LCA or environmental impact calculator during procurement. Some health systems use a checklist or calculator from organizations like Practice Greenhealth to compare, for instance, the waste and emissions from device A vs device B. If your institution has pledged targets, e.g. reducing water use by X% or achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, integrate those into procurement criteria, e.g. “Preference will be given to equipment that helps reduce our Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, through energy efficiency or renewable energy compatibility.”
Stay Informed on Sustainable Tech: Keep abreast of the latest offerings and case studies. There are whitepapers, like this one and vendor datasheets highlighting sustainable features, use them to ask informed questions. Attend industry conferences or webinars on healthcare sustainability or SPD (Sterile Processing Department) efficiency; these forums often showcase new tech, like systems that reuse sterilization water or digital solutions that optimize instrument loads to avoid running half-empty cycles. Network with peers at other hospitals that have implemented “green” sterilization practices, for instance, some hospitals have installed water recirculation systems for sterilizers and reported huge savings. Learning from these experiences can bolster the case when you propose purchasing a perhaps slightly more expensive but eco-friendly device.
Procurement Policy and Documentation: It may be beneficial to formally update your procurement policies to incorporate environmental preferred purchasing. This could mean adopting a policy that, wherever feasible, the hospital will purchase ENERGY STAR or equivalent certified appliances, or that all new equipment must align with the hospital’s sustainability mission. Document the decision-making when you do choose a sustainable option, especially if it had a higher sticker price, showing the rationale e.g. “selected Model X due to 30% lower energy and water usage, saving an estimated $Y over life, and reducing CO2 by Z tons” helps build institutional knowledge and justifies the approach for auditors or leadership reviews. Over time, tracking these savings and benefits could even reflect in budgets, maybe the energy budget can be reduced if equipment uses less, etc. Also, consider lifecycle contracts like power-by-the-hour or sterilization-as-a-service if offered, these can align incentives for the vendor to keep devices running efficiently.
Engage Stakeholders: Sustainable procurement isn’t done in isolation. Engage your infection control team, surgeons, nurses, and sterile processing staff in evaluating new equipment for both functionality and sustainability. Often, the staff in sterile processing have great insights on what features save them time and resources for instance, a larger capacity washer might let them clean more items per batch, saving energy per instrument. By bringing them into the decision, you ensure the device meets operational needs and that they are motivated to use resource-saving features. For example, if an autoclave has an “Eco mode” or scheduling feature, staff need to be aware and trained to use it (turning off steam at night, etc.) otherwise the benefit is lost. Thus, procurement should also plan for training and change management to realize all potential savings a new sustainable device offers. In essence, view vendors as partners: ask them to provide training on any special eco-features and maybe quarterly reports on how efficiently the device is running. Some advanced sterilizers can report water/electricity usage. This partnership approach ensures the hospital actually gains the sustainability benefits it paid for.
For Regulatory Bodies and Standards Organizations
Incorporate Sustainability into Device Regulations: Regulators should gradually weave environmental sustainability criteria into the fabric of medical device regulation and standards. This could start with guidance and incentives, eventually moving to requirements. For example, regulators could issue guidance documents for manufacturers on performing LCAs for their devices and using the results to improve design. While patient safety and device efficacy remain top priority, agencies can clarify that environmental impacts are part of a device’s risk/benefit profile especially when alternatives exist. Non-binding initiatives like FDA or EU workshops on “green medical devices” can share best practices and signal to industry that this is the future direction.
Harmonize and Mandate Eco-Design Standards: Work toward harmonizing standards like IEC 60601-1-9 so that they become a natural part of compliance. Regulators in the EU could, for instance, make compliance with IEC 60601-1-9 a prerequisite for market access in certain high-impact categories, if not immediately as law, perhaps through procurement rules for public hospitals. Another approach is to integrate sustainability into the Medical Device Quality Management Systems e.g. amending ISO 13485 or related guidance to have companies account for environmental risks. The ISO 14971 risk management process could explicitly mention environmental harm as something to mitigate. Additionally, standards committees for device-specific standards like sterilizer performance standards should consider adding sections on resource efficiency. For example, EN 285 (the steam sterilizer standard) could include an informative annex on water and energy consumption best practices, or future EN 285 revisions might set maximum utilities usage for given sizes.
Use Public Procurement and Policy as Levers: Government health departments and public health systems often purchase large volumes of equipment, they can set Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria that effectively become de facto standards. The EU, for instance, has GPP criteria under development for healthcare equipment that focus on reduced environmental impacts. Regulators can support these by providing tools and databases for verifying claims and by updating reimbursement or funding criteria to reward sustainable technology. Perhaps hospital accreditation programs (like Joint Commission or others) could include points for sustainable operations, which in turn pressures hospitals to buy efficient equipment. Policy-makers might also consider tax credits or rebates for hospitals that invest in energy-saving devices, similar to rebates for efficient HVAC or lighting, one could imagine a rebate for an autoclave that saves X liters of water a year.
Promote Transparency and Reporting: Regulators could require more transparency from manufacturers regarding the environmental profile of devices. This might mean adding a section to the product’s technical documentation or public summary where the manufacturer states the device’s energy consumption, whether it contains recyclable materials, etc. Already, in some jurisdictions, companies must report on compliance with WEEE and RoHS; building on that, they could report the percentage of recycled content or expected life of the device. An example to emulate is the energy labeling program for appliances, a simple A to G rating for energy efficiency could be envisioned for large medical devices. While complex to implement, such labeling would allow easy comparison and stimulate competition on sustainability. Regulators along with standards bodies can work on defining appropriate metrics e.g. kWh per sterilization cycle per liter of chamber volume, or liters of water per disinfected bedpan at a given soiling level so that products can be fairly rated.
Encourage Research and Innovation: Lastly, regulatory agencies and governments should encourage research into greener medical technologies. This could be via grants for developing low-temperature sterilization methods that use less energy, or for novel materials that are biodegradable or easier to recycle. Pilot programs can be launched in hospitals with regulatory oversight to test circular initiatives, for instance, a trial of a take-back program where a manufacturer refurbishes a batch of used washer-disinfectors and redeploys them. The findings from such pilots can inform policy. Regulators can also foster information-sharing platforms, a database of LCAs for medical devices, for instance, so that each company doesn’t have to start from scratch and so that improvements can be benchmarked. In summary, regulators should not view environmental sustainability as outside their remit, but rather as part of ensuring a resilient and responsible healthcare system. By gradually tightening requirements, providing guidance, and incentivizing innovation, they can significantly push the industry toward sustainable development.
Conclusion
The journey toward sustainable sterilization and disinfection equipment is well underway, driven by both innovation and necessity. By using recyclable materials like high-recycled-content stainless steel and incorporating eco-design principles such as modularity, energy efficiency, low water use, etc. manufacturers are reducing the environmental footprint of these indispensable devices. Lifecycle assessments make clear that such improvements, especially those targeting the resource-intensive use phase, can yield substantial cuts in emissions, waste, and operating costs. These advances do not occur in a vacuum: they influence and are influenced by evolving standards and procurement practices. Healthcare providers, through savvy procurement that values sustainability, are creating market demand for greener equipment, while regulators and standards bodies are beginning to formalize environmental performance expectations.
Ultimately, success in this domain means that hospitals can continue to deliver uncompromising patient care and infection control, but with far less environmental harm. An energy-efficient autoclave or a water-saving bedpan washer may go unnoticed by patients, which is as it should be, but its positive impact will be felt in the form of lower hospital utility bills, a smaller carbon footprint, and less waste generated. For the three key stakeholder groups addressed in this paper, the call to action is clear. Manufacturers must build sustainability into their product DNA, procurement officers must leverage their purchasing power to select eco-friendly solutions, and regulators must guide and sometimes push the industry toward greener horizons. By collaborating and each taking responsibility in their domain, these stakeholders can accelerate the adoption of sustainable materials and design innovations in sterilizers and disinfectors. The result will be a healthcare sector that heals and protects not just patients, but the planet as well, delivering “do no harm” in the broadest sense.
Sources
The information and data in this whitepaper are supported by a range of sources, including industry case studies, academic research, and standards documentation. Key references have been cited throughout the text to provide further reading and evidence for the claims made.