A comparative carbon footprint analysis of disposable and reusable vaginal specula

The study uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the carbon footprints of 3 vaginal speculum: a single-use acrylic and two reusable stainless steel. Overall, both types of reusables were found to have a lesser carbon footprint than the disposable. However, the stainless-steel grade 304 speculum was found to have a lesser carbon footprint than the reusable stainless steel grade 316.

Donahue LM, Hilton S, Bell SG, Williams BC, Keoleian GA. A comparative carbon footprint analysis of disposable and reusable vaginal specula. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020 Aug;223(2):225.e1-225.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.02.007. Epub 2020 Feb 15. PMID: 32067971.