Owen's Outfitters is keeping literal tons of medical supplies out of the landfill

Editor's note: This story is part of Sioux Falls Simplified's second annual "A Little Help" give-back effort. We're sharing stories all month long about Owen's Outfitters with the goal of raising $5,000 to support this fast-growing nonprofit. You can learn more here and donate here.

Simplified: Owen's Outfitters, a medical device lending library serving the Sioux Falls area, has saved more than 56,000 pounds – or 28 tons – of medical supplies from being added to the landfill.

Why it matters

• A 2017 report from ProPublica estimated that as much as 25% of healthcare spending ultimately goes to waste – including billions of dollars in medical supplies that are thrown away despite still being usable.
• Beyond the hospitals, there are also medical supplies in the average household that often go to waste or sit unused. And, beyond that, many medical supplies are built to last even though they won't be needed for all that long.
• Owen's Outfitters Executive Director Mike Turner shared the example of a knee scooter. By nature of the device, it has to be built strong enough to support the weight of an adult, often with a steel frame. But, if you have surgery and need a knee scooter, chances are you'll only need it for a few weeks or months. Then what?

"If you popped a wheel on your car, you wouldn't just throw the car away," Turner said.

Tell me more

Owen's Outfitters is giving people a way to get more use out of things like that knee scooter, or wheelchair, or breast pump or whatever other equipment or supplies they get donated.

• Then, when you're done using it, you can donate it right back. Turner shared the example of a knee scooter that's been borrowed and donated back several times.

More than 27,800 items have been donated to Owen's Outfitters since the nonprofit was founded. For the people who've relied on the medical lending library, that's meant a savings of nearly $1.5 million.

• It's great news for those families, and Turner noted those savings have an even broader impact.

"You’re helping everybody," he said. "When you take (donated supplies) and save healthcare costs for yourself, it also saves healthcare costs for everybody else."

How can I help?

Sioux Falls Simplified set a goal to raise $5,000 this month to support the work of Owen's Outfitters.

An even bigger goal is to help the nonprofit connect with a larger space so they can better store all of the medical equipment folks donate and accommodate the ever-increasing demand they're seeing.