P2: Health Care Recycling and Waste Exchange

Less waste disposal means less cost. Approximately 85% of health care facility waste is recyclable paper, cardboard, food waste, metal, glass, and plastics.

Recycle non-hazardous waste

• Reduces solid waste volume and disposal costs
• May generate revenue depending on recycling market values
• Strategically place recycling containers to encourage employee use.
• Learn more about Healthcare Facility Recycling from the H2E Waste Reduction Guide (pdf).
• Learn more about setting up a recycling program from the Waste Reduction Manual for Hospitals and Health Care Facilities (pdf) - Bridging the Gap, Inc., KC MO
• HIPAA requirement to destroy confidential documents provides an opportunity to collect and recycle your facility's paper.

Compost food waste from facility cafeteria and food services

• Learn more about H2E 10-Step Guide to Composting in Healthcare Facilities (pdf)

Recycle spoiled photographic film and paper and recycle x-ray films.

• Recycled film is made into a usable polyester plastic base.
• Confidential patient records can also be destroyed as part of the process.

Recover and reuse solvents through distillation.

• Various waste management services will provide off-site distillation if on-site distillation is not feasible.

Donate unwanted medical supplies and equipment to charitable organizations that assist developing countries.

• Yale University School of Medicine recovers medical supplies for use in developing countries in a program called REMEDY (Recovered Medical Equipment for the Developing World). Contact Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, TMP-3, PO Box 208051, New Haven CT 06520, (203) 737-5356, www.remedyinc.org.
  
  
• Donate sterile, unused supplies for reuse in developing countries (see American Medical Student Association, Medical Bridges or REMEDY for instructions).

 

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