Inpatient Medicine Waste Audit and the Plastic Pandemic

The United States is the largest generator of plastic waste in the world, and the health care industry produces a disproportionate amount due to a reliance on single-use products. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global increase in plastic waste, partially correlated with use of disposable personal protective equipment. However, its effect on waste production in U.S. hospitals, and specifically on inpatient medicine units, remains unknown. An interdisciplinary team at Massachusetts General Hospital performed a waste audit of an inpatient medicine unit to quantify and characterize waste generated over a 24-hour period with the goal of informing opportunities for diversion and elimination. In this webinar event, they will share their findings and explain the implications of it for the future.

This webinar is co-hosted by the Center for the Environment and Health at Massachusetts General Hospital and the MGH Institute of Health Professions (IHP) Center for Climate Change, Climate Justice, and Health.