The healthcare industry in the U.S. is one of the best in the world. Yet it creates non-hazardous medical waste in excess of an estimated 5 million tons every year. That’s tons of hospital beds, gurneys, wheelchairs, x-ray machines, incubators, as well as syringes, tubing, gauze, masks and so much more being sent to landfills to rust, rot and decompose into the earth.
Each year, Global Recycling Day takes place on March 18. MATTER would like to thank our hospital partners in the U.S. who are illustrating their commitment to building a more sustainable future in the healthcare industry by helping reduce the amount of medical equipment and supplies going into our landfills.
Partnering with MATTER, these hospitals donate their excess and outdated medical equipment and supplies so we can repurpose them and ship them to hospitals and clinics in under-resourced countries. In 2024, through our MATTER 360 initiative, we repurposed over 7.1 million pounds of medical equipment and supplies that would have otherwise gone into landfills. That’s enough medical items to fill two-and-a-half football fields!
By giving these items a second chance to do what they were created to do – save lives – everyone wins. The donating hospitals reduce their landfill footprint and the receiving hospitals are able to improve the quality of healthcare for their patients.
One of our amazing hospital partners is Owens & Minor. Nate Sedlacek, Operations Manager, Owens & Minor, commented, “We are proud to partner with MATTER to help make a difference in the healthcare environment with surplus medical inventory. The simplicity and efficiency of their process allows us to contribute to a greater cause delivering medical supplies to those in need.”
Because of our valued partners here in the United States, MATTER is not only able to help improve healthcare in under-resourced areas, but we’re also able to respond quickly to crises around the world.
We all have a part to play in helping to keep our environment as healthy as possible for ourselves and future generations. Thankfully, some of the very best healthcare systems here in Minnesota and around the country are doing their part and we want to recognize that on Global Recycling Day. At MATTER, we’re honored to help them achieve their sustainability goals to positively impact the environment and improve their communities.
To learn more about this topic, read the many stories about our work on our website.
