The leading manufacturer of water soluble PVA film and bags in China
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The leading manufacturer of water soluble PVA film and bags in China
Healthcare creates a lot of medical waste. From bedding and scrubs to contaminated linen and even the curtains, maintaining the highest levels of hygiene requires close attention to detail. When removing these items, however, staff risk contamination. Soon enough, a viral infection from one patient spreads throughout the hospital.
Consider that even if the equipment and linen are kept stored in a plastic bag, someone will have to remove it when it comes time to put it in the washing machine.
Water-soluble bag manufacturers have the solution. Using these innovative bags, medical staff can collect soiled or contaminated linen, putting it into the washing machine without ever coming into contact with any infectious material.
In this guide:
⟩ What is a Water-Soluble Bag?
⟩ Benefits of Water-Soluble Bags in Healthcare
⟩ Use Cases for Water Soluble Bags in Healthcare
What is a Water-Soluble Bag?
A water-soluble bag is a novel invention that dissolves upon contact with water or moisture. Made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), the material is similar to that used in laundry pods. This allows entire bags of laundry to be placed into the machine, which will dissolve during the wash cycle.
The breakdown products of PVA are harmless to the environment and reduce the amount of plastic waste. They're just as strong as other plastic alternatives. So, there's no risk of breakage before it's placed into the machine. In fact, many water-soluble bag manufacturers ensure the bag doesn't dissolve until around 70 °C.
Benefits of Water-Soluble Bags in Healthcare
Water soluble bags have made significant in-roads into the healthcare industry. Primarily, the bags are used to contain contaminated clothing or linen, whether from MRSA, bed bugs, or blood-borne pathogens. Medical staff can rest assured that the hazardous material is safely secured.
The benefits include:
✓ Reduced Contamination Risk. Contamination is the biggest risk factor in a medical environment. It only takes one person to spread a bacterial or viral infection. Given the high risk of infections like norovirus, COVID-19, or MRSA, mitigating this spread is of paramount importance. By containing contaminated material securely within a bag which can be placed directly into the washing machine, cleaning staff won't ever come into contact with the pathogen.
✓ Greater Hygiene. Infection control involves eliminating exposure to pathogens. Usually, laundry staff must remove the soiled or contaminated material before placing it into the washing machine. This creates a significant hygiene risk. Nor can laundry staff clean themselves up again and again if there's a problem. Water-soluble bags eliminate this risk. Staff can safely handle the bags during transport, putting them into the washing machine with ease.
✓ Easy to Use. Unlike complex safety protocols, water soluble bags are simple and intuitive to use. Just place the waste inside, tie the bag, and put it into the machine. There's literally nothing else to understand. Most of these bags won't dissolve until the temperature reaches a certain point, so there's minimal risk of breakage.
✓ Streamline Laundry Process. Dealing with contaminated linen requires intense safety procedures. This takes time. Using water-soluble bags simplifies and streamlines the system, so bags can be loaded quickly into the machine. That saves on resources and also reduces the risk that laundry is lost or damaged during transport.
✓ Less Plastic Waste. Hospitals and other medical facilities generate a lot of plastic waste. Bags previously containing hazardous or contaminated material cannot be recycled. Most facilities end up incinerating the material – not only releasing harmful chemicals but wasting resources. Water soluble bags, yet again, eliminate this problem. Doing so saves further money that would be spent on plastic waste management and reduces energy consumption. It's a major saving for the hospital.
Use Cases for Water Soluble Bags in Healthcare
Okay, so we understand why water-soluble bags are important. But when would they be used? Let's consider a few real-world examples:
· Patient Bedding. Whenever a patient leaves the hospital, their bedding must be changed. Collecting and washing this bedding is an everyday undertaking for most hospitals but consumes a lot of time and resources. Water-soluble bags simplify the process, providing a quick and easy way to return soiled linen to a clean condition.
· Soiled Clothing. Sometimes, patients have accidents. Staff need a simple way to send the clothing to the laundry without it getting lost in transit. After all, there's a high risk of it getting mixed up with other clothing. Water-soluble bags solve this problem. The laundry is both separated and safe from the other items.
· Post-Operative Scrubs. After an operation is complete, the surgeon, nurses, and other staff must send their scrubs and surgical gowns to the laundry. Using a water-soluble bag as the collection point means no other staff ever needs to come into contact with the contaminated material. It remains safe and secure in transit.
· Ward Lockdown. If there's a serious infection in a ward, the hospital may decide to lock it down. For example, norovirus is highly contagious and poses a risk to patients and staff. Transporting linen, clothing, and other materials from the ward to the laundry without risk of contamination is extremely difficult. Thankfully, water-soluble bags mean the material never needs to be handled until after the wash cycle. It's the safest option.
· Care Home Management. In care homes, staff often handle soiled linens and personal items from residents, which may carry contaminants. Water-soluble bags allow staff to transport these items directly to the laundry without direct handling, reducing the risk of cross-contamination. The bags dissolve in the wash cycle, keeping the environment cleaner and ensuring linens return hygienic.
Together, the use cases demonstrate the incredible potential for water-soluble bags in healthcare. Water-soluble bag manufacturers are always looking for new ways to improve their products – especially in the healthcare market. Whether that's color-coding the bags or designing them to dissolve at specific temperatures, manufacturers continually innovate to meet healthcare needs.
Guangdong Proudly New Material Technology Corp. ( Legal name: Jiangmen Proudly Water-soluble Plastic Co., Ltd.) is a National High & New Tech Enterprise unifying development, production and sales.
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