Alternatives to incineration of medical waste – exploring sustainable medical waste disposal

26-05-2023

Alternatives to the incineration of medical waste have become more and more prominent in the healthcare industry over the past years. As more sustainable options become available for medical waste disposal, hospitals and clinics can do much more to lessen the generation of hazardous waste. This isn’t just a burden on the environment – unchecked infectious waste can be equally dangerous to people and facilitate the spread of dangerous infections.

In Celitron’s next article, we aim to show that sustainable medical waste disposal need not be “just” an obligation to be fulfilled for safety reasons or to avoid fines. Alternatives to the incineration of medical waste can also be beneficial to the facilities that incorporate them into their waste management system.

Read on to find out more about the benefits of sustainable methods such as autoclaves and medical waste shredders!

Why is there a need for alternatives to the incineration of medical waste?

Despite several alternatives available, incineration is still one of the most widely used medical waste disposal methods. Many facilities simply lack the on-site equipment necessary to treat waste sustainably. While HTI (high-temperature incineration) is effective at destroying hazardous waste, the WHO still recommends using other alternatives whenever possible.

Avoiding the surplus of medical waste always takes priority regardless of the method used, but in the long-term, healthcare facilities can treat generated waste much more efficiently (and more cost-effectively) if they have the right on-site equipment available, since they can save on transportation costs.

While there are already on-site incinerators available with flue gas treatment (with less risk of air pollution),these need much more available space and prep work to be installed and incorporated into a waste management system. Not to mention that their capital and operational costs can be much higher compared to other sustainable medical waste disposal alternatives.

Examples of sustainable medical waste disposal alternatives with no incineration

1. Chemical treatments

Chemical treatment involves using specialized chemicals to neutralize and destroy hazardous components of medical waste. This process breaks down contaminants and reduces the risk of pollution. After chemical treatment, the waste can undergo further treatment or be disposed of safely in landfills or through other approved means. However, due to the use of potentially expensive chemicals, it can be less cost-effective in the long run compared to autoclaving.

Chemical treatment offers several advantages as an alternative to the incineration of medical waste:

Environmental safety: Chemical treatment processes target specific contaminants, effectively neutralizing them and minimizing the release of pollutants into the environment.
Resource recovery: Some chemical treatment processes allow for the recovery of valuable materials, such as heavy metals, which can be reused or recycled.

2. Microwave treatments

Microwaving medical waste is an innovative solution that combines efficiency and eco-friendliness. By subjecting waste to high temperatures, microwaving effectively disinfects and decontaminates the waste, making it safe for further processing or disposal. This method offers a rapid turnaround time and minimizes harmful emissions.

Additional benefits of microwave treatments for medical waste include:

Energy efficiency: Microwaving requires less energy compared to traditional incineration methods. This translates to lower carbon emissions and reduced environmental impact.
Pathogen Elimination: The high temperatures generated during the microwaving process effectively eliminate pathogens, ensuring the safe disposal of medical waste.

3. Autoclaving as an alternative to the incineration of medical waste

Autoclaving is a popular alternative to incineration that utilizes high-pressure steam to sterilize medical waste. This process effectively neutralizes pathogens, ensuring the safe disposal of contaminated materials. Autoclaving offers several benefits, even compared to other sustainable methods.

Effective steam sterilization: The high temperatures and pressure generated in autoclaves kill bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, reducing the risk of infection and disease transmission. Even heat-resistant foreign materials cannot survive this process.
Energy efficiency: Autoclaves use water and electricity as a source, and require much less energy to work compared to incineration. Not to mention that modern models like Celitron’s autoclaves provide an even more cost-effective alternative to the incineration of medical waste, thanks to their advanced water and energy-saving system.
Versatility: While gravity autoclaves can only treat certain types of tools, vacuum autoclaves like Celitron’s models can treat a wide range of medical waste and equipment.
Reusing surgical tools: Sterilized surgical tools and equipment can be reused for the treatment of patients without any risk of transmitting infections.

4. Autoclave shredders as a sustainable medical waste disposal method

Autoclave shredders like Celitron’s ISS combine the benefits of autoclaving and shredding to provide an advanced solution for sustainable medical waste disposal. These innovative machines integrate steam sterilization with a shredding mechanism, offering several advantages.

Benefits of autoclave shredders include:

Extremely efficient steam sterilization: In the case of hazardous waste like sharps which cannot be reused, they need to be free from pathogens and rendered into an unrecognizable state. By combining shredding with steam and pressure, the Integrated Sterilizer and Shredder can treat all parts of the waste efficiently.
Energy efficiency: Just like in the case of all advanced vacuum autoclaves available at Celitron.
Volume reduction: The shredding component of autoclave shredders reduces the size of the medical waste, leading to significant volume reduction. This not only saves space but also optimizes transportation and storage, resulting in cost savings and improved efficiency. The waste also comes out completely dry from the ISS.

Alternatives to the incineration of medical waste from Celitron – Why do we recommend our sustainable medical waste disposal methods?

For one thing, environmental guidelines list vacuum autoclaves as one of the preferred alternatives to the incineration of medical waste. Regardless of size and model, all of our steam sterilizers fall into this category - also known as “class B”: the most advanced category of autoclave available on the market.

Celitron specializes in providing on-site, sustainable medical waste disposal methods to healthcare facilities of all sizes, including not only large but medium steam sterilizers and small tabletop autoclaves.

Our vacuum autoclaves are made of corrosion-resistant 316L stainless steel to ensure long-term operation. This makes them an excellent long-term investment, as apart from transportation costs, you can also save up on operational costs thanks to their water and energy-saving systems. They are also especially user-friendly: their operation is fully automatic and they come equipped with extra safety features.

All in all, alternatives to the incineration of medical waste treatment have many advantages. Apart from helping you adhere to environmental guidelines, sustainable medical waste disposal methods like Celitron’s hospital autoclaves or ISS have much lower capital and operational costs and are much easier to use and implement in medical waste management systems.

Should you have any questions, or if you are interested in a free quote for your healthcare facility, all you need to do is CONTACT US!