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Reducing regulated medical waste: A roadmap for process improvement

Clarissa A Niino1,2, Raanan Meyer1, Catherine John1

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States.

The Journal of Climate Change and Health
|February 6, 2026
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Implementing a simple process change in operating rooms significantly reduced regulated medical waste (RMW) by over 60%. This initiative also cut RMW disposal costs and decreased the overall waste percentage, demonstrating effective healthcare waste management.

Area of Science:

  • Healthcare Management
  • Environmental Science
  • Waste Management

Background:

  • The United States generates substantial medical waste, with operating rooms being a major contributor.
  • Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) often exceeds the recommended 15% of total healthcare waste, reaching up to 70% in some facilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To implement and evaluate a process change aimed at reducing Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) production in hospital operating rooms.
  • To develop a scalable roadmap for implementing waste reduction strategies in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

  • A month-long intervention was conducted in the operating rooms of a high-volume urban hospital.
  • Key changes included staff education and a reduction in RMW receptacles to one per room.

Main Results:

  • Median monthly RMW production decreased from 19.11 to 7.44 tons.
  • The percentage of RMW in total waste dropped from 39.8% to 16.61%.
  • Median monthly RMW disposal costs fell by over 60%, and total waste disposal costs decreased significantly.

Conclusions:

  • Process changes, such as optimizing waste receptacle availability, can effectively reduce operating room RMW.
  • Implementing such changes can lead to substantial cost savings and contribute to reducing healthcare's carbon footprint.
Keywords:
Medical waste managementQuality improvementSustainability

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