Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Healthcare Waste Valorisation Alternatives DOI Creative Commons
Beate Zlaugotne,

Anda Zandberga,

Jūlija Gušča

и другие.

Environmental and Climate Technologies, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 29(1), С. 51 - 67

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2025

Abstract Infectious healthcare waste (iHCW), after microbial inactivation treatment, primarily ends up in landfills. Although the morphological composition of iHCW depends on type health facility, predominantly HCW consists plastic and textile waste. Furthermore, treatment is cleaner from a microbiological contamination perspective than household waste, making it highly valuable resource. Recycling has environmental economic benefits by valorising iHCW, would be possible to reduce amount landfilled use as The aim research understand consequences potential treated valorisation scenarios through ‘gate-to-gate’ (from generation at medical facilities end-of-life or recovery) life cycle assessment framework compare with existing practice – landfilling functional unit 1 ton using ReCiPe 2016 (Midpoint, Hierarchist perspective) method. Valorisation (VS) analysed substitute feedstock for reinforced asphalt, cement, RDF, syngas, acoustic panel components used hydroponics. results LCA demonstrate that impact perspective, best are syngas production (VS4) cumulative result −11Pt −237 kg CO 2 eq global warming category RDF (VS3) −5Pt −195 category, entire flow recycled into energy. However, when recycling most product must created, then hydroponics (VS6) 50Pt 1181 asphalt (VS1) 53 Pt 1246 category. From panels (VS5) 55 598 cement (VS2) 603 Therefore, additional scenario was created where plastic, residual streams fully eliminating landfilling. show BAU 75 1509 greatest compared any VS considered this research. Of total impacts, largest caused disposal, followed transport, which similar all due assumptions about distance transported, also scenarios, but bigger difference benefit Based results, recommendations stakeholders developed.

Язык: Английский

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Healthcare Waste Valorisation Alternatives DOI Creative Commons
Beate Zlaugotne,

Anda Zandberga,

Jūlija Gušča

и другие.

Environmental and Climate Technologies, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 29(1), С. 51 - 67

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2025

Abstract Infectious healthcare waste (iHCW), after microbial inactivation treatment, primarily ends up in landfills. Although the morphological composition of iHCW depends on type health facility, predominantly HCW consists plastic and textile waste. Furthermore, treatment is cleaner from a microbiological contamination perspective than household waste, making it highly valuable resource. Recycling has environmental economic benefits by valorising iHCW, would be possible to reduce amount landfilled use as The aim research understand consequences potential treated valorisation scenarios through ‘gate-to-gate’ (from generation at medical facilities end-of-life or recovery) life cycle assessment framework compare with existing practice – landfilling functional unit 1 ton using ReCiPe 2016 (Midpoint, Hierarchist perspective) method. Valorisation (VS) analysed substitute feedstock for reinforced asphalt, cement, RDF, syngas, acoustic panel components used hydroponics. results LCA demonstrate that impact perspective, best are syngas production (VS4) cumulative result −11Pt −237 kg CO 2 eq global warming category RDF (VS3) −5Pt −195 category, entire flow recycled into energy. However, when recycling most product must created, then hydroponics (VS6) 50Pt 1181 asphalt (VS1) 53 Pt 1246 category. From panels (VS5) 55 598 cement (VS2) 603 Therefore, additional scenario was created where plastic, residual streams fully eliminating landfilling. show BAU 75 1509 greatest compared any VS considered this research. Of total impacts, largest caused disposal, followed transport, which similar all due assumptions about distance transported, also scenarios, but bigger difference benefit Based results, recommendations stakeholders developed.

Язык: Английский

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