Assessing the Rate of Recyclable Plastic Wastes and Recycling Economic Value in Hospitals of Yazd in 2022

Special and infectious wastes are the most significant wastes generated in hospitals, health centers, and similar facilities. Reducing and recycling such wastes at the source pose significant challenges to waste management. Therefore, this study assesses the components of healthcare waste in terms of their recyclability, emphasizing different types of plastic.

Data collection involved sampling normal and infectious waste in selected hospitals over three months using monthly checklists. The total waste generated in these hospitals was analyzed on a daily basis. Moreover, the average microbial load of infectious waste was determined through microbial strip tests and biological tests following patient companion. Tests were performed with the acceptable performance of safe hospital devices with the destruction of microorganisms.

Average waste composition in the selected hospitals included 65-70% general waste and 30-35% infectious waste. The most common generated infectious waste was polyethylene (PE) sets (800 kg/month), while the predominant general waste was nylon bags for polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) packaging (520 kg/month). Hospital 1 had the highest per capita production of recyclable waste, generating 7,900 kg and 2,550 kg of normal and infectious waste per month, respectively. The total revenue generated from selling normal and infectious plastic waste was 1.4 and 0.2, respectively.

The mixing of waste can be prevented by properly segregating normal and infectious waste and adequate staff training. Given the escalating disposal costs of health-care waste (HCW) and the shrinking space in landfills, efforts to minimize waste generation are crucial for effective recycling and reuse processes.