Can You Still Recycle Hospital Waste

According to statistics, roughly 2 million tons of medical waste are generated every single year in hospitals, clinics, and other medical centers. This is such a massive amount of waste that goes into landfills every year.

However, to reduce the numbers, some individuals are trying to recycle hospital waste as much as they can. But is that even possible?

Is It Possible to Recycle Hospital Waste?

Any medical waste that gets picked up then goes through a sterilization process before they end up in sanitary landfills. Though these landfills are designed properly, there are still instances in which waste and water can make their way to nearby water sources.

The good news is, it’s possible to recycle certain hospital waste. In fact, those that do end up recycled don’t even go into the landfill. This massively reduces the amount of medical waste that is generated each year.

In research conducted by the Pfiedler company, most of the single-use items in a hospital setting are made of plastic. This means that roughly 23% of any hospital waste can be recycled!

To do so, plastic waste is sterilized and then melted down before it can be reused. Another effective way is to segregate plastic and non-plastic hospital waste. This way, it will be a lot easier for facilities to dispose of medical waste that can’t be recycled and separate the ones that can still be reused.

Final Thoughts

Hospital waste recycling is still a developing practice, but the good news is that this practice is growing quickly and steadily.