Laryngoscopes and the Environment

There exists an odd debate regarding laryngoscopes. The Joint Commission which regulates hospitals regulates the sterility of laryngoscopes. The traditional scopes and blades have to be sent down for processing, which apparently involves multiple chemical baths. In response, some companies have designed single use disposable laryngoscopes which circumvents the regulations on sterile processing. They claim that throwing away these laryngoscopes - which have a light source, batteries, and a good amount of plastic - is better for the environment than multiple chemical baths. Maybe this is true, but I am shocked that this is considered a "good" solution. We go through so much equipment in the hospital; there must be some way we can avoid massive amounts of chemicals or tossing every instrument as if it were single use. This is not a sustainable solution, and the Joint Commission needs to recognize the harms it causes with its regulations.