Table 4.
Medical plastic wastes (Guo et al. 2020)
| Sources | Plastic waste | Plastic material | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital Cafeteria | Bag (clear/black) | HDPE/PS | Recyclable |
| Bag (white-trash) | PS | Not recyclable in normal collection | |
| Bottles (drink) | PET/HDPE | PET and HDPE is the most recyclable plastic in the world | |
| Bottles (milk/water) | HDPE/PET | HDPE and PET is the most recyclable plastic in the world | |
| Bowl (soup/food) | PS | Not recyclable in normal collection | |
| Bowl/cover (dessert/fruit) | PET | Recyclable | |
| Bucket (ice/waste stream) | HDPE | Recyclable | |
| Cover (food/bread) | PS | Not recyclable in normal collection | |
| Cover (coffee/cold drink) | PS | Not recyclable in conventional procedure | |
| Cup (hot/cold) | PS | Any black plastics are not recyclable | |
| Dish (food/bread) | PS | Not recyclable in all conditions | |
| Food carrier (colourless) | PS | Not recyclable in all conditions | |
| Ketchup/sauce | PET/LDPE |
PET is completely recyclable LDPE has a tendency to tangle in recycle machine |
|
| Packaging (snack/food, spoon) | PET/LDPE |
PET is the most recycled plastic in the world LDPE has a tendency to tangle in recycling machines |
|
| Spoon/knife/pork | PS | Not recyclable in normal conditions | |
| Straw (colour/colourless) | PS | Styrofoam products are made out of PS plastic and sometimes can be recycled | |
| Tray | PS | Not recyclable in conventional procedure | |
| Emergency room | IV Bag | PVC, HDPE, PP |
PVC is difficult to recycle, and sometimes it is not recyclable depending on waste composition HDPE is recyclable PP is a recyclable thermoplastic polymer |
| Medical | PVC, PE, PS |
PVC is not always recyclable PE is recyclable PS is not recyclable in normal conditions |
|
| Film | PS | Not recyclable in normal condition | |
| Patient kits | PVC |
Not always recyclable Need appropriate technology |
|
| Disposable gloves | PVC, PP, PS |
PVC is not recyclable always PP is recyclable PS is not recyclable in conventional procedure |
|
| Sharps | PP, PE | Recyclable | |
| Other plastics | PET, HDPE, PS | PET and HDPE are completely recyclable PS is not always recyclable | |
| Hospital Laboratories | IV bag | PVC, HDPE, PP, ABS |
HDPE, PP and ABS are easily recyclable PVC can be sometimes recyclable in appropriate condition |
| Blood bag | PVC | Recyclable in appropriate conditions | |
| Sharps | PE, PP | Recyclable | |
| Tubing | PVC HDPE |
HDPE is completely recyclable PVC is not always recyclable |
|
| Gloves/lab. ware | PS, PVC, PP | N/A | |
| Medical/ packaging | PE, PS, PVC | N/A | |
| Patient kits | PVC | N/A | |
| Nursery items | PP PE | N/A | |
| Other plastics (blood collection tubes) | PVC PS | N/A |