Recycling
Collecting, recycling and reusing medical waste can avoid environmental hazards, protect natural resources and can provide economic benefits for health care facilities.
Recycling medical waste reduces consumption of raw material and reduces the volume of the waste materials that must be disposed in a landfill. Less medical waste in a landfill, will mean reduced emission of green house gasses, less burning of fossil fuels as well as less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. So, with using resources that are already processed hospitals can protect the environment and the already strained natural resources.
At EMBRYOCLINIC we have realized the need to protect the environment by applying simple practices in our facilities. One of the important and daily tactics is the recycling of materials and the promotion of the use of recyclable or environmentally friendly materials.
- A special battery recycling bin was placed, as well as bins for waste separation and then their collection and sending to recycling stations.
- Detergents are selected based on the special labels of environmentally friendly items as well as other materials used in all areas.
- The operating system is fully electronic in order to become 100% paper free.
- Avoid using plastic in all areas.
- Disposable electrical appliances are sent to special recycling stations.
- A special process of recycling expired pharmaceuticals is followed at the site.
- Staff receives electronically weekly updates and reminders to comply with the measures
- In order to promote recycling and similar behavior, there is a commitment to information on social media in order to raise the awareness of the general public on a monthly basis.
How does recycling benefit the environment?
Recycling reduces the use of natural resources by reusing materials:
- 94% of the natural resources used by Americans are non-renewable. Non-renewable, natural resource use has increased from 59% in 1900 and 88% in 1945.
- Recycling saves non-renewable resources. For example, by not recycling paper, 80% more wood will need to be harvested by 2010 to meet growing paper consumption demands. However, through active paper recycling, only 20% more wood will need to be harvested by 2010.
- It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials.
- Making products from recyclables results in energy savings. Recycled steel saves 60% production energy, recycled newspaper 40%, recycled plastics 70%, and recycled glass 40%.
- Using scrap steel instead of virgin ore to make new steel takes 40% less water and creates 97% less mining waste.
Sources:
recyclingofmedicalwaste.weebly.com
nems.nih.gov