In searching for a sustainable solution to the disposal of their excess supplies and equipment, Allina Health turned to MATTER, a global non-profit committed to helping hospitals with their sustainability and financial issues around expired and excess items through their MATTER 360 initiative.
In the U.S. alone, hospitals create non-hazardous medical waste in excess of an estimated 5 million tons every year. Much of that waste is made up of surplus or unused equipment. To illustrate the magnitude of the problem, a report from Johns Hopkins Medicine found that U.S. hospitals throw away unused syringes, sutures, gauze, gloves, etc. from operating rooms alone to the tune of $15 million each year. In total, hundreds of billions of dollars of perfectly good equipment and supplies are discarded annually by U.S. hospitals. Even worse, much of that waste ends up decaying in landfills and contributing to the environmental challenges we face.
Allina Health, like many concerned hospitals, was searching for a sustainable solution to the disposal of their excess supplies and equipment. In addition, they also had numerous staff and clinicians requesting supplies to bring on their personal mission trips. This became challenging for the supply chain department to manage in a fair and equitable way.
To help Allina Health navigate these challenges and find sustainable solutions, they partnered with MATTER, a Minnesota-based global nonprofit committed to helping hospitals with their sustainability and financial issues around expired and excess supplies and equipment through their MATTER 360 initiative. MATTER also became the avenue through which Allina Health could meet the requests of their staff and clinicians for donated supplies, relieving the supply chain department of that role and allowing it more time to focus on its primary responsibilities.
Improving access to health care for communities around the world, MATTER repurposes donated medical equipment and supplies from hospitals in the U.S. In addition to refurbishing hospitals and clinics, the donated medical items are also repurposed for use in medical training schools, on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, and in relief efforts for natural disasters like the earthquake in Turkey.
“Environmental sustainability is central to Allina Health’s mission, vision and values. That’s why our partnership with MATTER has become such a valued resource for us. Not only is the MATTER team easy to work with, but their commitment to repurposing our excess and expired supplies and equipment helps us achieve our sustainability goals. Knowing that these items are helping others around the world instead of sitting in landfills is a win-win for everyone,” commented Suzanne Savanick Hansen, Ph.D., Environmental Sustainability Manager for Allina Health.
Donating outdated or excess supplies and equipment to MATTER is a simple way for hospitals to make a global impact on healthcare, while at the same time helping with their sustainability goals and supply chain efficiency. Tax deduction receipts are available to donating organizations. In certain cases, transportation costs can be waived from the hospital location to MATTER’s warehouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Visit the MATTER 360 page on MATTER’s website to learn more about how you can partner with us in creating a sustainable solution sustainable solution for a more sustainable future by donating medical items. Take the next step by filling out the application / interest form today if you have excess medical equipment or supplies to donate! If you’d like to download the full case study, it is available HERE.
