Thinning the Waste : Innovation: Anaheim Memorial Hospital is using gowns and other disposable supplies made of a material that liquefies in hot water. It is expected to slash the amount of medical trash sent to landfills.

ANAHEIM —  When you wear one, you only think your hospital gown is shrinking. But the organic gowns pioneered at Anaheim Memorial Hospital actually dissolve--after use.

The innovative new technology--also used for surgical drapes and other disposable supplies that hospitals consume voraciously--is expected to drastically reduce the amount of medical trash dumped in landfills.

On Wednesday, hospital officials staged a demonstration to show off the paper-thin gowns, which are similar in texture to Handi Wipes and disintegrate when immersed in hot water.

“This technology will change the way that medical waste is disposed of,” said Rick Setian, a spokesman for Isolyser HealthCare, the company that developed the process used at Anaheim Memorial.

When a green gown is discarded by a patient or doctor, it is thrown into an industrial-sized washing machine, heated to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and agitated for 45 minutes. The gown disappears, leaving only a teal-colored fluid, which is drained and pumped to the nearest waste-water plant, just like any other dirty water.

Although patients who have checked into the hospital since July--when the new gowns and other supplies were introduced--may not have noticed the difference in their skimpy attire, hospital officials say the reduction in disposal costs has been significant.

The 250-bed facility generates about 200,000 pounds of surgical waste a year. With the new procedure, 44% of that waste--some 88,000 pounds--will literally go down the drain instead of being buried in a dump this year. That’s a savings of about $18,000 for the hospital.

The new material, called Orex, is being used to make disposable surgical supplies such as gowns, drapes, sponges and towels. In the future, the manufacturer says, the material may be used to make non-medical products such as disposable diapers and soda bottles.

“This is something that is safe for people to ingest,” said Marty Paugh, a sales representative for Isolyser. The organic polymer used in Orex has long been found in soluble products such as the coating on many pills.

Jack McGurk, chief of the environmental branch of the state Department of Health Services, which approved Orex in March, said the breakthrough puts California at the cutting edge of waste disposal. McGurk was at the hospital for Wednesday’s demonstration.

California, like many other states, he said, has mandated that health-care facilities and other industries reduce their solid waste volume by as much as 50% by 2000. “We want to eliminate as much solid waste from the landfills as possible,” said Chris Van Gorder, chief executive officer of the hospital, which he said is the first in the country to use the new product.

Dr. Robert Park, medical director of the hospital, said his staff has been very satisfied with the new products.

“If you saw the amount of material that is thrown away everyday. For a tonsillectomy or something major, it makes no difference,” he said. “The reduction of such mindless waste is terrific.”

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Cutting-Edge Operation

Anaheim Memorial Hospital is the first hospital in the United States to use products made from an organic polymer that dissolves in hot water. By making the switch, the hospital anticipates a 76% reduction in disposable surgical waste by 1997.

Fast Facts

47,000 tons of medical waste are generated in California hospitals and clinics each year.

Anaheim Memorial produces about 200,000 pounds of surgical waste annually.

Operating rooms generate 60% of all hospital infectious waste.

Products made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) dissolve in 190-degree water.

Operating room products made of PVA include drapes, gowns, bowls and surgical trays.

PVA is currently used in adhesives, fabric sizing and ophthalmic products.

After water treatment, PVA products are often used as a fertilizer.

Source: Anaheim Memorial Hospital

Waste Generation

Most common waste found in operating rooms nationwide:

Non-woven drapes, gowns 30%

Suction canisters 20%

Bandages, sponges, towels 20%

Plastic bowls, basins 20%

Various tubes, containers 10%