This article explains on how IV-fluid bags (which are highly needed in the developing world) can be optimally used and how its negative environmental effect can be decreased. Please note that only fresh, clean IV-fluid bags are best used (ie not completely used ones freshly discarded from hospitals).
Set-up[edit | edit source]
Having noticed that hospitals tend to throw away a large portion of their supply of (vacuum-packaged) IV-fluids (eg Baxter-bags, ...), aswell as a huge portion of their hospital meals, I created this article which describes on how they may be optimally used. This, as the developing world desperatly needs these items and just tossing them away is simply not ethical.
The developing world, as mentioned earlier, is having a desperate lack of these items and could well use them. Hospitals may supply them free of charge as they are mostly only half depleted/used and are then thrown away anyway. Giving away these food/life support items for free is something which is already presently being done in our society through the practice of freeganism and its supporting community. Shipping the IV-fluids can be done easily as the fluids are packaged vacuumly (which gives them a long shelf-life) and as even when used, no oxygen enters the packages (iv-tubing, when connected also remains vacuum).
Perhaps that, after the fluids are used, the bags itself may also still have some purpose (they may be transformed to biodiesel (see links below).
In addition to these Iv-fluids/bags, as mentioned, hospitals also throw away lots of food. Although most prepared food cannot be shipped far (it degrades quickly), perhaps solutions may be found here as well (hospitals may use longer-lasting foods as dry pasta/rice, cooperate with freeganism-communities, ...). Given the fairly simple approach outlined here, projects may be set up in practice within a (few) year(s) if interest is shown.
External links[edit | edit source]
- IV-fluids/packaging
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intravenous_therapy#IV_fluids http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baxter_International#Products
- Freeganism explained
