January 21, 2025
(press release)
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Can Healthcare Plastic Packaging Waste Be Effectively Collected and Sorted? <time datetime="2025-01-21T16:50:00Z">Tue,
Packaging is a ubiquitous aspect of healthcare treatments and while hospitals and their staff often share a strong purpose to address packaging waste, the challenge is significant. As 85% of hospital waste is considered to be non-hazardous, free from patient contact and contamination, a more sustainable management of packaging waste at the end of life should be feasible. Realizing the economic value of this waste will help drive change and enhance recycling efforts. Our previous case study in 2024 involved four European hospitals that were managing plastic waste at varying levels. The study focused on plastics waste generated within hospital operating rooms, the challenges of waste sorting at the point of use, and the implementation of waste collection systems. In a new project, the
Our Partners Our partners in this initiative include UMC Utrecht (UMCU) hospital, based in
The Pilot StudyCollecting the Test Batch At UMCU hospital, a healthcare plastic packaging waste batch of about 2 cubic meters was collected from surgery preparation areas, wards, and medication rooms. The packaging was free from contamination and included only healthcare plastic packaging waste, excluding other waste sources such as consumer packaging waste. Both flexible and rigid plastic packaging were collected to represent a typical mix of healthcare plastic packaging formats and materials used in hospitals. Sterilization wraps or shrink wraps were not included in the study as UMCU has dedicated recycling programs for their end-of-life treatment. During the pilot study, UMCU’s routine procedures for waste segregation were followed with no additional instructions on disposing of healthcare plastic packaging. The test batch consisted of healthcare plastic packaging waste collected at specific points in the hospital. Sorting and Analyzing the Test Batch The collected test batch was manually sorted at the NTCP facility following RecyClass guidance for waste segregation, considered a benchmark for commercial waste sorting operations. The batch was sorted into typical waste streams according to polymer type and form (rigids/flexibles). Manual sorting is a reliable way to sort smaller batches for which automated technologies are not feasible due to the small sample size. A portable NIR-spectrometer was used to determine unknown packaging materials. Rigid packaging represented 74% of the test batch by weight, while flexible mono-material and multilayer packaging accounted for the remaining 26%. In principle, for the rigid packaging waste, the polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) packaging could be recycled within polyolefin mono-material streams. Moreover, the polyester (PET) rigid packaging could be recycled within the rigid PET stream. The percentage of these packaging that could actually be sorted and recycled would be limited by other Design for Recycling factors. For example, those that include a paper label may not be suitable for sorting or recycling. For the flexible materials, PE (10%) and PP (4%) films could be recycled within flexible mono-material polyolefin streams. Multilayer flexibles that contain polyamide (PA) or PET components (11% of the waste batch) remain a challenge and for the moment would be considered non-recyclable within most European countries. From this test batch, in a best-case assessment, up to 84% of the packaging waste could be directed into an appropriate stream for subsequent recycling. Next Phase of the Project This pilot phase focused on a small quantity of packaging material from specific locations within the UMCU hospital and was manually sorted to generate a more detailed picture of material types. The next phase is to evaluate a larger batch of plastic packaging waste, moving from manual sorting to automatic sorting representative of commercial sorting facilities. Our ongoing aim is to: Throughout
About HPRC HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling, and waste management industries seeking to improve the recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. Made up of brand-leading and globally recognized members, HPRC explores ways to enhance the economics, efficiency, and ultimately the quality and quantity of healthcare plastics collected for recycling in support of a circular plastics economy. HPRC is active across
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