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Plastic waste offer profitable means of disposal

Medical products made of plastics are being increasingly used in the healthcare establishments as they not only reduce the transmission of infection but also cost less when compared to other materials. Plastics comprise around 15 per cent of the total medical wastes generated in a hospital. Plastic medical wastes can be sold as plastic scrap after they are properly disinfected and crushed. This waste has a lot of value because medical disposables are made of virgin high grade plastic. The plastic medical wastes that are sold as scrap are recycled and thus, the hospitals not only reduce their disposal costs, but also earn from these wastes.

According to Shrishti, an NGO, there are different types of plastics that are to be separated before they can be recycled because they have different melting points, different viscosity, etc. If the medical plastic wastes are mixed, it becomes difficult and expensive to recycle them. The solution to this problem is to identify the type of plastic being used by the manufacturers and then treat them separately or segregate them prior to shredding. Some of the types of

plastic that are at present used for specific purpose in the healthcare industry are poly vinyl chloride (PVC) (used in making blood bags, urine bags packaging, oxygen sets, catheters, IV containers, feeding tubes, etc); low density polyethylene (LDPE) in the disposable of gloves; HMHDPE (pedia drips by some producers); moulded rubber (RMS infusion sets) and latex (disposable gloves). The cost price of used disposable syringes is around Rs 15 per kg, while the disposed IV containers fetch Rs 16 to Rs 18 per kg. Other medical plastic wastes like IV tubes are purchased by the traders at prices depending upon the prevailing market conditions.

Though plastics bring down the possibility of transmission of infection within the hospital, there are some problems related to its use and disposal. According to a Shrishti source, dioxin is produced both during the production of PVC and its disposal by incineration. Thus, by recycling PVC and not incinerating it, dioxin emissions can be reduced during its disposal. Recycling PVC can lead to the

creation of fumes of vinyl chloride monomer and the stabilisers. These are toxic and the workers can be exposed to them. Plastics should be treated by non-burn technologies. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that medical waste should be disinfected and not sterilised. Therefore, there is no need to destroy the material. It is sufficient to ensure that the materials are disinfected and mutilated.

Use of alternative know-hows like autoclaves, hydroclaves, microwaves, needle cutters/destroyers and chemical disinfection are the most suited methods for the treatment of plastics. In the US a higher percentage of plastics is contained in medical waste than in municipal solid waste. In India healthcare establishments are turning towards plastics. The market for medical disposables has grown from US $ 2350 million in 1979 to $ 4000 million in 1986. The use of plastics in medical products is now growing at the rate of 6 per cent per annum.