Each year, hospitals continue to spend more money than the year before on medical equipment. If costs are so high to replace equipment, why do hospitals have to pay even more to recycle it?
- Most medical equipment is made up of materials that are difficult to separate like metal, plastic, circuit boards, and glass—so a fee is added to have it recycled. While medical equipment compositions become more and more complex, the resources needed to properly process these materials for recycling can quickly add up and get even more expensive. Since asset disposition vendors have no way to control the resources e-recycling companies need to offset the cost, a fee has to be added to recycle medical equipment safely and responsibly.
- The bulk of recycling costs stem from labor and transportation. Workers are still required to sort materials, inventory, and document the process. The health and safety of employees must also be considered, like exposure to blood-borne pathogens or toxic chemicals. All these factors contribute to the expenses asset disposition vendors are facing today.
- Changes to international import and export laws have had a significant impact on recycling costs. China, Thailand, and Vietnam have banned imports of plastics or e-waste materials with more bans planned for the future, which limits recycler’s means to offload their materials, therefore contributing to rising costs.
- ePHI data security will always remain a top priority. R2 Certified vendors follow strict NAID standards for managing any data accidentally left behind by a hospital and maintaining these certifications costs vendors money. Not only is there a yearly audit certification for data security, but there’s an environmental and quality process audit too.
ZRG Medical find the right solution for hospitals’ asset disposition needs. We identify the most valuable medical equipment to ensure the highest return, recycle any e-waste, as well as remove bulky items like sterilizers and hospital beds.
Despite our goal to extend the life of medical equipment, not all devices can be re-used and must be recycled, which unfortunately includes an added cost. Our mission to improve sustainability keeps us committed to our zero-waste landfill policy so we can give surplus medical equipment a second life by collaborating with facilities who share a like-minded vision.
