Here’s How Teal Bio Is Hoping to Slow Down The Effects Of Single-Use Plastics On The Environment
It’s hard to go to a hospital or even a doctor’s office without coming into contact with some sort of single-use plastic. While they’re durable and easy to sterilize, the effects of single-use plastics on the environment could negatively impact our health in the long run. Most single-use plastics end up in landfills or scattered throughout the world’s differing ecosystems — and when it breaks down into smaller pieces, also known as microplastics, it could even end up in our own bodies.
Obviously, significant changes need to happen across a myriad of industries to reduce single-use plastic waste worldwide, but Teal Bio is making moves to lessen it in healthcare.
What Are Single-Use Plastics?
Photo by Magda Ehlers via Pexels
As the name suggests, single-use plastics are designed to be used one time and then thrown away. You probably use at least one a day: Some examples include water bottles, grocery bags, straws, and food takeout containers. They're all convenient and durable but not absolutely necessary.
However, in the healthcare industry, sterile single-use plastics like surgical masks and N95 respirators are currently the best or only hygienic option. Swapping medical equipment isn’t as easy as switching your single-use plastic water bottles to reusable ones.
Why Are Single-Use Plastics A Problem?
Photo by Mikhail Nilov
The problem with single-use plastics is that after they’re thrown away, they don’t decompose. Instead, they continuously break down into tiny pieces called microplastics. The term “microplastic,” coined by British marine ecologist Richard Thomas in 2004, describes plastic particles smaller than five millimeters. Since then, scientists have found microplastics pretty much everywhere — in Arctic snow, marine life, table salt, and more — even in our drinking water.
The Current Impact Of Single-Use Plastics On The Environment
Photo by Ron Lach via Pexels
There are more studies that need to be done on the effects of single-use plastic on humans and the environment, but researchers seem to agree that microplastics aren’t good for either.
For one, most plastic is made with crude oil and natural gas. That means that the mere creation of single-use plastic emits greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere and are directly linked to global warming, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Then, after use, nearly a quarter of single-use plastics end up in landfills, where methane gas (a greenhouse gas) is emitted. All in all, plastic emits greenhouse gases at every part of its life stage.
Additionally, plastic contains chemicals that could harm the endocrine system and cause health problems such as cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, and more, according to a report from the Endocrine Society and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN).
These chemicals disturb the body’s hormone systems and can cause cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, neurological impairments of developing fetuses and children, and death. This is especially bad considering that microplastics have been found in drinking water.
Of course, there are many ways single-use plastics are utilized for good, but based on the adverse side effects, it’s clear that the world needs to slow down its plastic waste production and turn to reusable options where possible.
Plastic Waste In Healthcare
Photo by Karolina Grabowska via Pexels
Almost 440 million tons of plastics are produced each year — and that number is estimated to more than double by 2050.
According to an article published in the AMA Journal of Ethics, healthcare facilities produce nearly 14,000 tons of waste per day in the U.S. Of that, 20% to 25% of that waste is plastic, and 91% of plastics, including that used in healthcare, are not recycled. Instead, it ended up in landfills or in natural environments. What’s more, nearly 8% of total carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. comes from the healthcare industry — making it one of the largest waste-producing industries in the world.
Some examples of single-use plastic products found in hospitals include syringes, IV bags, catheters, the disposable covers over thermometers, and, of course, PPE.
How Teal Bio Is Helping Reduce Plastic Waste In Healthcare
Safety is the number one priority when it comes to PPE — and Teal Bio believes technological advancements and innovation could reduce the amount of single-use plastics in hospitals.
That’s why Teal Bio is designing a reusable respirator constructed with a silicone, transparent mask, and partially biodegradable filters. The mask itself is moldable for a better, more comfortable fit, and when used properly, it may be used for up to one year. Silicone is easier to sterilize with standard sanitization wipes and cleaners.
Compare that to the N95 mask (a single-use plastic mask)‚ which is only meant to be worn once. According to an article published by the BMJ Open, providing all healthcare workers with a reusable respirator instead of a single-use one could reduce waste by 81.3% over a six-month time span in the U.S.
Hospitals may never be able to eradicate plastic in its processes, but they can make a conscious effort to reduce single-use plastic when possible. Overall, the adaptation of reusable respirators like Teal Bio’s in healthcare could help. In turn, this would be better for the environment and long-term human health — and, besides, isn’t healthcare all about keeping the world healthy?
You can learn more about the Teal Bio Reusable Respirator on our website and join the waitlist today.
