Table 3.
The potential risk of bias of waste audits that include polymer waste data.
| Study | Ethics | Funding | ROB Score (see belowa) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeoh et al. [33] | Approved by the James Cook University Human Ethics Committee (#H8154) | None declared | 3/8 |
| Oxborrow et al. [32] | None declared | None declared | 3/6 |
| Martin et al. [5] | Approved by the University of Sheffield, School of Clinical Dentistry Ethics Committee. | Public funding, Plastic Research Innovation Fund (EP/S025200/1) & Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures (U. Sheffield) | 3/3 |
| Alstrom [31] | None declared | None declared | 4/8 |
| Wyssusek et al. [30] | None declared | Self-funded | 2/8 |
| Aghalari et al. [29] | None declared | University funding | 4/8 |
| Voudrias et al. [28] | None declared | None declared | 4/8 |
| Momeni et al. [27] | Approved by the Ethics Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences (Ir.bums.REC.1396.72). | University funding | 5/8 |
| Mandalidis et al. [26] | None declared | None declared | 3/8 |
| Majlesi et al. [25] | None declared | University funding | 5/8 |
| Richardson et al. [24] | Approved by Plymouth University’s Faculty of Health and Human Sciences Research Ethics Committee. | University funding | 2/8 |
| Amouei et al. [23] | None declared | None declared | 5/8 |
| Nabizadeh et al. [22] | None declared | None declared | 4/8 |
| Nabizadeh et al. [21] | None declared | University funding | 3/8 |
| Kizlary et al. [20] | None declared | None declared | 2/8 |
| Ozbek et al. [19] | None declared | None declared | 2/8 |
| 2024 Yeoh | 2024 Oxborrow | 2022 Martin | 2021 Alstrom | 2020 Wyssusek | 2020 Aghalari | 2018 Voudrias | 2018 Momeini | 2018 Mandalid | 2018 Majlesi | 2016 Richards | 2016 Amouei | 2014 Nabizad | 2012 Nabizad | 2005 Kizlary | 2004 Osbek | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Are sampling processes explained? | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
| 2. Are methods used for measuring mass explained? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N |
| 3. Are calibration procedures explained? | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | N | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N |
| 4. Were receptacles utilised to segregate waste? | N | n.a | n.a | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y |
| 5. Was biomedical waste separated from other types of waste? | Y | n.a | n.a | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y |
| 6 Was polymeric single-material waste differentiated from composite material waste? | N | N | n.a | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| 7. Was non-polymerised material separated from polymerised polymeric materials? | N | N | n.a | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| 8. Were different polymers (PETE, HDPE, PP, PVC, LDPE, PS, SR, elastomers) distinguished? | N | N | n.a. | N | Y | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Sum score (maximum score: 8) | 3 | 3/6 | 3/3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
n.a. not apply.
aROB score details.