Meditech

Reusable vs Disposable Gowns: Cost per Use, Break-Even Cycles, Yearly Cost & Waste

A reusable gown is paid for once and washed many times. It wins only if it survives long enough for the washing to cost less than a new disposable.

Reusable From the supplier and the laundry contract
cost
cycles

The cycles the gown is validated or tracked for.

%
cost
kg
Disposable & Usage From the supplier and the waste contract
cost
cost
kg
uses

Saving per Use with Reusables (Negative = Disposable Cheaper)

— cost

Disposable cost per use less reusable cost per use

Comparison

Uses a Reusable Gown Gives
— uses
Reusable Cost per Use
— cost
Disposable Cost per Use
— cost
Uses to Break Even
— uses
Saving a Year
— cost
Reusable Gowns Bought a Year
— gowns
Reusable Gown Waste a Year
— kg
Disposable Gown Waste a Year
— kg

Prices, life, losses, reprocessing and disposal costs are yours, in any one currency; the tool has no typical figure for any of them. A reusable gown's purchase is spread over the uses it actually gives, which is its life in cycles less the share lost or rejected early. Reprocessing is the full cost of one cycle: collection, laundering, inspection, packing and sterilising. The break-even is the number of uses at which a reusable gown has cost the same as the disposables it replaced. Waste counts the gowns themselves only; water, energy and packaging differ between the two and are not here. **Both kinds must meet the same barrier performance for the procedure; compare like with like.**

Reusable vs Disposable Gowns: Cost per Use, Break-Even Cycles, Yearly Cost & Waste — free, with the formula and a worked example, at Textile School.