"It's a great feeling to know there are other people out there that are
taking my idea and doing the same thing to help out those in need,"
says Ms. Marella. "I just hope it continues."
Through email and other encounters, she and other blue wrap
enthusiasts point each other to new sewing patterns. Others around
the country have created tote bags, sleeping bags and more out of the
stuff.
Ms. Marella still sews the mats herself, with some help from local
Girl Scouts and other clinicians. They only take about five minutes to
make, and she's produced around 3,500.
Ms. Marella believes reusing blue wrap saves facilities money.
"When surgical teams collect wraps for me, 10 or 15 in one bag
weighs a lot," she says. Since many facilities pay their waste vendors
based on weight, throwing blue wrap out can be costly as well as
wasteful.
The U.S. healthcare system generates billions of pounds of waste
every year, and ORs produce about a third of that waste. A blue wrap
project could kick off larger green efforts at your facility. "I see this as
a stepping-stone to launching a recycling and a repurposing program,"
says Ms. Marella. "This is an easy way for you to get started, and then
ask, 'What else can we do?'"
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