Recycling of medical plastics

Abstract

A large amount of non-infected plastic wastes are being generated at the healthcare facilities all over the world. However, only a small fraction is recycled. Conventionally, the used plastics are either disposed in landfills or inadequately incinerated. These practices impart an adverse effect on our environment. Plastics are indispensable part of the medical sector owing to their high versatility. The outbreak of COVID-19 clearly showed the growing demand for single use plastics. Hence, completely avoiding plastics can be challenging at this point of time. Recycling of plastics is undoubtedly a solution to solve the crisis of plastic pollution. Medical plastic recycling is limited mainly due to difficulties involved in sorting or cleaning. Recycling medical plastic wastes is possible only through proper coordination between healthcare sector and recycling industries. New recycling technologies are to be adopted in a sustainable manner. Moreover, the plastics used in medical applications should be designed such that recycling is possible. This review highlights the downside of medical wastes and discusses the recycling potential of commonly used medical plastics. • Recycling medical wastes into value added products. • Internal collection system at each source. • Sorting using spectroscopic techniques. • Choice of sterilization technique matters. • Sterilization wraps and other common plastic materials can be effectively recycled.