Healthcare
Plastics Waste Recycling:
Improves Environment & Job Creation
International Bench-Mark Activities
Estimates indicate that there are about 1
million tons of clean, non-infectious healthcare plastics
generated in U.S. healthcare facilities each year. While
the potential of this largely untapped waste stream is
obvious; how to access this waste stream is less clear.
The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council
(HPRC) - a private, technical consortium of industry peers
across the healthcare, recycling, and waste management
industries, recently launched the Healthcare Plastics
Guide for Recyclers to help inform and educate plastics
recyclers and processors about the common streams of
plastic waste generated in clinical settings.
This guide includes:
-
The most commonly generated healthcare
plastic waste streams.
-
How to partner with hospitals for a
successful recycling program.
-
Recycling options, including common steps
in mechanically processing healthcare plastics.
-
Case studies and other helpful resources.
-
Technical specifications for common
healthcare plastics.
One more initiative of the consortium
include its flexibles projects, which will determine
viable strategies for recycling multi-material flexible
plastic packaging currently being discarded as hospital
waste.
After learning from Western Health, many
Australian and also New Zealand hospitals have implemented
similar programmes. Today, around 170 hospitals in
Australia and New Zealand recycle non-infectious PVC-based
IV bags, face masks and oxygen tubing. Every month, 20
tonnes of PVC waste is collected and recycled. The
implementation of PVC recycling in hospitals is mainly
driven by staff. Due to the success of the programme, PVC
recycling is now part of the nursing training in
Australia.
Environmental Outcomes
Recycling clean PVC instead of putting it
into waste bins can also lead to positive environmental
outcomes like:
-
Reduced Energy: It saves energy and
conserves valuable raw material resources. A recycled
plastic product (including PVC) has approximately one
quarter of the embodied energy compared to an equivalent
product made with virgin resin.
-
Reduced Carbon Footprint : A life cycle
assessment conducted by the University of NSW showed that
PVC fluid bags instead of disposing of them in either
clinical or general waste resulted in a carbon footprint
reduction. Also recycling PVC in comparison to
incineration result in a 77 percent reduction in carbon
dioxide emissions, while in comparison to land fill, there
is an 18 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
Waste Management Savings
-
Reduce Waste Management Costs : PVC recovery in hospitals
reduce waste management costs against more expensive
disposal options of clinical / general waste.
-
Support Jobs And Manufacturing: Preventing quality
reusable materials going to landfill, supports local jobs
and manufacturing as it gets new life like hose, safety
mats and many more.
Biomedical Waste Categories and their segregation &
collection (As per Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules,
2016)
Category |
Types of Waste |
Type
of Bag or Container to be used |
Yellow |
(a) Human
Anatomical Waste
(b) Animal
Anatomical Waste |
Yellow
coloured non-chlorinated plastic bags |
|
(c) Soiled
Waste
(d) Expired
or Discarded Medicines |
Yellow
coloured non-chlorinated plastic bags or containers |
|
(e)
Chemical Waste |
Yellow
coloured containers or non-chlorinated plastic bags |
|
(f)
Chemical Liquid Waste |
Separate
collection system leading to effluent treatment system |
|
(g)
Discarded linen, mattresses, beddings contaminated
with blood or body fluid |
Non-chlorinated yellow plastic bags or suitable
packing materials |
|
(h)
Microbiology, Biotechnology and other clinical
laboratory waste |
Autoclave
safe plastic bags or containers |
|
Contaminated Waste (Recyclable) |
Red
Coloured non-chlorinated plastic bags or containers |
|
Waste
sharps including metals |
Puncture
proof, Leak proof, tamper proof containers |
|
(a)
Glassware
(b) Metallic Body Implants |
Cardboard
boxes with blue colored marking
Cardboard boxes with blue colored Marking |
Recyclable Biomedical Waste Treatment and Disposal
Options
Category |
Type of Waste |
Type of Bag or Container to be used |
Treatment and
Disposal Options |
Red |
Contaminated Waste (Recyclable)
(a) Waste generated from disposable
items such as tubing, bottles, intravenous tubes and
sets, Catheters, urine bags, syringes (without needles
and fixed needle syringes) and vaccutainers with their
needles cut) and gloves. |
Red
coloured nonchlorinated plastic bags or containers |
Autoclaving or micro-waving / hydroclaving followed by
shredding or mutilation or combination or
sterilization and shredding. Treated waste to be sent
to registered or authorized recyclers or for energy
recovery or plastic to diesel or fuel oil or for road
making, whichever is possible. Plastic waste should
not be sent to landfill sites. |
|
|
|
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