Reusables vs. disposables

The question of whether to use disposable or reusable laundry and linen products is one that hospital managers have had to answer with increasing frequency over the past few years. Although it may ultimately depend on individual user or patient preference, each type of product does have its own advantages and disadvantages. On these two pages, a comparison of disposables and reusables is presented from the point of view of a major linen supplier and the director of the Canadian institutional laundry managers association. They discuss the benefits, and downfalls, of each with regard to costs, storage, convenience, disposal and infection control.