Role of recycling in Health Care Industry

Around the globe, health care industry is the biggest industry serving billions of people. While doing so, a large amount of waste comes out in the form of needles, plastic containers, tissues etc. These materials are normally thrown away once they are used, thereby increasing dump and waste. However, recycling is changing things in a big way.  Using this process, these materials are made ready to be used again and again. This process is already proving to be a money saver, which is helping countries by benefiting their economies. Process of recycling is slowly becoming a part of each and every industry and is imaginatively catching people attention all over world.

Health care activities results in the production of waste which causes environmental pollution because of waste like dioxin, mercury, PBTs. Variety of hazardous waste is produced during operations like chemo therapy and waste like antineoplastic chemicals, photographic chemicals, radio nuclides , mercury, solvent and waste anesthetic gases is released out. The generation of these exhaustive substances adversely affects the environment which distracts the focus from the internal functioning of the health care industry. This is where recycling is playing such a major role. It is combating that waste and is producing materials and substances of useful nature.

Today, many hospitals have understood the importance of recycling which has changed this industry in numerous ways. Paper is one material which is used frequently in all hospitals.  Its careless disposition can lead to the wastage of materials which can be recycled and reused again. This process not only saves paper but also considerable amount of energy that is used in manufacturing of the new product.

Another area where this process is proving is worth is with the disposable material like needles that can be re-sterilized and hospitals are asked to reduce the use of sterilized pack. There are many recycling organizations which are trying to find out new ways to reduce the hospital waste and to recycle it in a more efficient way.

Waste audits conducted throughout the world shows the efficiency, cost, safety measures of this process. Adoption of this method by Health care industry is not only proving beneficial for our environment, but it is also helping them to save some extra money.