The Need For Medical Waste Recycling

Medical waste or clinical waste generally refers to waste products that cannot be considered as general waste

. This waste is produced from healthcare centres, such as hospitals, clinics, doctors offices, veterinary hospitals and labs. A large quantity of this waste is medical plastic. In this day and age it is imperative that both private as well as public hospitals take medical waste recycling seriously. Studies have showed that up to 6600 tons of solid waste are generated every year by medical facilities and that 20 to 25% of this waste is plastic. It has also been proven that a substantial amount of money can be saved by recycling plastic waste that is sterile or non contaminated.

A comprehensive study that analyzed the recycling potential of medical plastic generated by hospitals and animal health care centres revealed the tremendous amount of hazardous medical waste generated. Researchers conducted this study by gathering information with reference to waste streams, recycling data, disposal costs and plastic content of medical waste from these hospital and health care centres. The data gathered showed that hospital departments such as operating rooms, laboratories, emergency rooms and ambulance facilities are major contributors of plastic waste. However, hospital cafeterias produced a greater amount of plastic waste than any other department. The study also suggested that the answer to improving the recycling of plastic waste in hospitals was to classify the waste generating sources, depending on the chances of infection and/or plastic component. Since most waste products from medical sources are considered to be bio hazardous and infectious there are high chances of them leading to the spread of infectious diseases.

The rapid growth in the health care industry has lead to an increase in the need for high volume waste disposal management. The development of an economical and efficient waste disposal system is a major area of concern. The benefits of an efficient waste disposal system are as follows:

Increased Worker safety

Reduced operational costs

Easier housekeeping

Improves community relations

Cuts Down fire hazards

Reduced health hazards

Better security for your business and employees

A significant amount of money can be saved by recycling medical plastic and other forms of medical waste. The health care industry is finally recognizing the need and urgency for the regulation of medical waste and as this sector evolves, further scrutiny and monitoring will be required to handle new risks.

by: Karen Adams

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