Single-use products and disposable items for medical care For hygienic reasons, a particularly large number of single-use products are used in the medical field, including medical products, dressing materials, sterile materials and aids. There are basically two options: using single-use items and disposing of them after use, or using reusable items that must be cleaned after use and whose sterility must be restored. Instruments that are not properly cleaned and reprocessed pose a danger to patients. Single-use instruments are sterilized and individually packaged. They are intended for single use and are then disposed of. From an ecological point of view, however, single-use instruments are extremely questionable. The single-use cutlery is usually made of steel or plastic (polymer). In particular, steel instruments are hardly distinguishable from reusable products in terms of functionality and feel. Metal instruments must be cleaned, washed, packaged and sterilized after each use. These steps are time-consuming and costly. With single-use products, these complex processes are completely unnecessary. Other expenses such as for an autoclave and a film sealing device are eliminated when opting for disposable products. The costs for consumables such as instrument disinfectants and sterile packaging can also be saved, as can the personnel costs that arise when reprocessing instruments. In addition to the economic aspects, disposable instruments have another advantage: the responsibility for sterilization lies with the manufacturer. The hospital receives a brand new, unused instrument that has neither damage nor residual contamination. In addition, there is a long shelf life and safe packaging. The problem with disposable instruments: they can only be partially recycled. The instruments contain valuable chromium, which would practically be lost in hospital waste. In order to recycle the instruments, however, they would have to be collected separately and then sent for recycling. Examples of single-use products and disposable items are: ampoules, medicinal plasters, disposable gloves, medical tape (including Leukoplast), mouth and nose protection, infusion technology, cannulas, catheters (e.g. peripheral venous catheters), lancets, Petri dishes, disposable syringes, diagnostic tests (e.g. for HIV or Corona), dressings, including wound dressings. Some of the items mentioned here, such as pipettes or Petri dishes, are available both as reusable devices and in a disposable plastic version. The following disposable aids are also used in both hospitals and in nursing care to treat urinary and fecal incontinence: diapers, bladder catheters, urine bags, fecal collectors, bedpans (made of paper) and anal tampons.