Spezialklinik Jugenheim has become the first hospital to receive our BlueLavage® Sustainability Award. Below you can find the hospital’s press release about the award.
18 June 2026 | Kreisklinik Groß-Umstadt, Kreisklinik Jugenheim | Press Releases | Written by Thomas Bach
Since January 2024, maximum-care endoprosthetics centre in Jugenheim has saved as much CO2 as a car that drives around the entire globe: nearly 6.7 tonnes of CO₂. In addition, the hospital has avoided 784 kilograms of electronic waste and around 12,800 AA batteries. An impressive achievement. These savings were made possible by using a surgical irrigation and suction system called “BlueLavage” manufactured by UTK Solution GmbH. Among the members of clinicpartner eG, Germany’s largest hospital purchasing cooperative, Spezialklinik Jugenheim was one of the first hospitals to use this resource-efficient system in the operating theatre. In recognition of this commitment, the hospital has now become the first institution to receive the manufacturer’s “Sustainability Award”. And for good reason: around 1,300 knee and hip replacements are performed in Jugenheim every year. This also explains the substantial savings and the resulting benefits for the environment.
Irrigation and suction of the surgical site to remove organic residues is an integral part of joint replacement surgery. Until January 2024, the systems used for this purpose in Jugenheim were irrigation and suction devices equipped with motors, circuit boards, copper wiring and other technical components, all powered by multiple batteries. After the cleaning process, which takes only a few minutes, the devices were disposed of as hazardous waste. This represented an enormous waste of resources. “At the end of every operation, batteries had to be disposed of. It really hurt to throw all those batteries away,” explains Prof. Dr. Peter Schräder, Medical Director of Kreiskliniken and Chief Physician at Spezialklinik Jugenheim. Now, a reusable drive unit ensures that electronic waste is completely eliminated. “12,800 AA batteries is a significant number,” says Prof. Schräder, adding: “But that wouldn’t help us if the device wasn’t easy to use, because ultimately, the success of the operation is what matters most. And BlueLavage really is very easy to handle.”
The decision to switch to the new system was initiated by Markus Albig, Head of Operations for the OR and Anaesthesia Nursing Team at Spezialklinik Jugenheim. “Spezialklinik Jugenheim was ready to embrace sustainability,” says Jannik N. Ehlert of UTK Solution GmbH. Each drive unit can now be used for several hundred procedures before it needs to be replaced. The manufacturer then recycles the materials. In addition, the entire system is manufactured in Lüdenscheid, resulting in much shorter transport distances compared with devices manufactured in China. It also provides greater supply reliability, an additional benefit for the hospital.
“For us, it’s a win-win situation,” says Pelin Meyer, Operations Manager at Kreiskliniken. “The system supports patient safety through its ease of use while also allowing us to do something positive for the environment.” Operations Manager Christoph Dahmen adds: “Hospitals generate a great deal of waste due to strict hygiene requirements and the need to ensure patient safety. That makes us all the more pleased when innovative technology enables us to reduce the amount of waste we produce.”
