The Australian healthcare sector's reliance on single-use plastic has never been more visible than during the COVID-19 pandemic — and now frustrated doctors and nurses are fighting back to save both the environment and money.Doctors and nurses are concerned about the levels of single-use plastic they're seeing during the pandemicThe healthcare sector has been battling its environmental footprint for years.
In Victoria, the advice is that all healthcare waste from hospitals, COVID-19 clinics, testing and injecting sites must be handled as medical waste. "We have to understand that this is the reality of a pandemic disease, something that we haven't lived before. And we're just making our best effort to try to understand where we need to cut down," Mr Machado says.The Victorian government was asked about its overall official waste figures in the healthcare sector, but it couldn't supply any data after June 2020.
"I don't think it's the time to be bagging hospitals, as the priority is to firstly keep their patients and us safe. But the waste is obviously a huge issue. Every injection involves a range of single-use plastic, including syringe caps and the syringe itself. With tens of millions of doses given, these tiny items add up into tonnes.Mr Fritis-Lamora's idea to segment and collect these items eventually got going with help from his hospital and a state-government funded body that aims to promote recycling, NSW Circular.
AllMould Plastic's founder Scott Cantrill is passionate about reducing his environmental footprint. Half of what he makes is already produced from old waste streams.
Funny how the plastic straw do-gooders jumped ship for 18 months when it’s been at its worse - welcome back though 🙄 iguesstheyareboredwithstayhomenow
I think the word 'addiction' is a little unfair
BassCoast The issue is perhaps more concentrated in metropolitan region. Recycling businesses from regional jurisdictions might be able to carve out a deal to treat/recycle metro waste. Offering grant to innovators to partner regional capabilities might also help recycle waste.
Time to consider power generation from incineration.
Isn’t all Hospital waste incinerated?