Disposable or reusable? Consumers face that choice many times each day. Should we buy a bottle of water for the gym or fill a thermos at home? Should we eat dinner on paper plates or use the dishes? Which to choose depends on many factors, including convenience, cost and the environment.
The choice is a little more complicated in the world of medical devices. Making surgical instruments from materials like stainless steel is expensive and energy-intensive. But, cleaning and sterilizing those instruments so they can be safely reused is also expensive and energy-intensive. What if instruments could be made from less expensive materials, such thermoplastic, so they could simply be used once and thrown away?