Creation date
Waste produced by hospitals and other medical facilities is a largely invisible contributor to environmental degradation. However, when one considers the wide array of establishments that produce medical waste, and the use of single-use sterile equipment across these facilities, their impact quickly becomes apparent. An incredible amount of waste is produced by health clinics, nursing homes, medical research laboratories, dentists, offices, veterinary clinics, and of course hospitals. Incredibly, around 85% of hospital waste is non-hazardous and non-infectious, according to the World Health Organization. The majority of that waste is recyclable, highlighting the need for a robust hospital waste recycling initiative to prevent these safe waste materials from reaching landfills.
A Hospital Waste Recycling Revolution
As the need for sustainability in clinical waste disposal becomes more apparent, multiple avenues of hospital waste recycling are opening up. Much hospital waste can be sorted into familiar recycling categories, like paper, metals, linens, and batteries. Some medical devices can be reprocessed or donated to medical facilities in developing countries, where they can be sterilized and reused. The sterilization process, usually sterilizing by autoclave, can also be employed closer to home to reuse medical equipment. Finally, inroads are being made in using ozone technology for sterilizing waste, which can then serve as an alternate and environmentally friendly fuel source.
A New Clinical Waste Disposal Process
To implement a widespread recycling scheme for medical facilities, healthcare providers must be trained on the correct categorization of medical waste. In a complex system, this may involve half a dozen or more bins for medical waste disposal. There is also a need for tracking collection of medical waste to ensure that recycling efforts are effective. Finally, the process of clinical waste transport is another area where sustainability should be a focus. The energy impact caused by the transport of this waste can be reduced by improved recycling initiatives.