Is It Possible to Recycle Medical Waste?
8/23/2020
Majority of the medical wastes are single use. Primarily during the pandemic, the escalating need for hazard-free and safe disposal of waste in health care facilities is affecting the market. Though medical waste disposal is necessary, it is costly and challenging for healthcare settings such as hospitals, diagnostic facilities, and research centers.
Especially during pandemics like COVID- 2019, even the personal items are considered as medical waste. Deliberating that each medical waste must run through extreme sterilization-before, dumping them to a landfill, why don’t we recycle instead?
Especially during pandemics like COVID- 2019, even the personal items are considered as medical waste. Deliberating that each medical waste must run through extreme sterilization-before, dumping them to a landfill, why don’t we recycle instead?
Importance of Recycling Medical Wastes
The World Health Organization (WHO) does not agree with incinerating medical wastes. It generates furans and dioxins, a chemical that produces carcinogens that has extensive negative effects on health. Heavy metals with lead, mercury, and cadmium contents, which most medical materials have not at the same time held forth. Because of the toxicity, it inflicts in the environment. How is medical waste recycled? Believe it or not, 19% of medical waste comes from blue wraps.
It has been a challenge to sterilize because it leads to contamination. Thus, it ended up being thrown away. Spectrum Health, a non-profit hospital based in Michigan, recently discovered that its lead contents could be removed. Thenceforth, the blue wraps can be melted down and reused in manufacturing various plastic items as well as soda bottles.Moreover, the TerraCycle company of the United States initiated a successful recycling program for ‘difficult-to-recycle’ medicals wastes. A commercial steam disinfection (autoclave) technique utilizes an EPA-approved sterilization technology used sharps collected at hospitals across America.Pfiedler, a company that specializes in medical needs of surgeons and perioperative nurses, discovered that 23% of surgical waste might possibly be recycled. And a good training and a setup of an amplified waste management plan is a major way in increasing a recyclable medical waste. Doing this allows the facility which disposes of the collected medical waste to quickly sort through and recycle plastic waste.
The primary manufacturers are uplifting their productions on medical needs as well as medical waste containers to lessen the risk of contagion. Consequently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have set up guidelines for further precautions and guidelines for the disposal of waste products. They required numerous bio-hazard bags for segregations of contaminants and punctures.
Conclusion
The world organizations such as the EPA, the WHO, and some private research companies have been working hard at finding out more efficient ways to reduce and recycle medical waste. Medical facilities throughout the world could play a significant part by simply imposing proper medicate waste segregation.
It has been a challenge to sterilize because it leads to contamination. Thus, it ended up being thrown away. Spectrum Health, a non-profit hospital based in Michigan, recently discovered that its lead contents could be removed. Thenceforth, the blue wraps can be melted down and reused in manufacturing various plastic items as well as soda bottles.Moreover, the TerraCycle company of the United States initiated a successful recycling program for ‘difficult-to-recycle’ medicals wastes. A commercial steam disinfection (autoclave) technique utilizes an EPA-approved sterilization technology used sharps collected at hospitals across America.Pfiedler, a company that specializes in medical needs of surgeons and perioperative nurses, discovered that 23% of surgical waste might possibly be recycled. And a good training and a setup of an amplified waste management plan is a major way in increasing a recyclable medical waste. Doing this allows the facility which disposes of the collected medical waste to quickly sort through and recycle plastic waste.
The primary manufacturers are uplifting their productions on medical needs as well as medical waste containers to lessen the risk of contagion. Consequently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have set up guidelines for further precautions and guidelines for the disposal of waste products. They required numerous bio-hazard bags for segregations of contaminants and punctures.
Conclusion
The world organizations such as the EPA, the WHO, and some private research companies have been working hard at finding out more efficient ways to reduce and recycle medical waste. Medical facilities throughout the world could play a significant part by simply imposing proper medicate waste segregation.