Environmental Impact of Flexible Single-Use and Reusable Video Laryngoscopes

This study conducted a full life-cycle assessment (LCA) comparing single-use video laryngoscopes with a reusable model and found that single-use devices have a dramatically higher environmental impact. The Ambu and Storz single-use scopes generated 7.46 kg and 5.49 kg CO₂ per procedure, respectively, while the reusable Storz scope produced only 0.1137 kg CO₂, a 48–66-fold difference. 
Most emissions from single-use scopes came from manufacturing electronics, plastics, and packaging, whereas the reusable scope’s emissions were mainly from PPE and energy used during reprocessing. With an estimated 5,000 lifetime uses, the reusable scope’s carbon and waste footprint is vastly lower. Based on these findings, its evident that single-use devices pose a far greater environmental burden and should be carefully evaluated before widespread adoption.