By Healthcare Facilities Today

The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council and Stanford Hospital and Clinics in Palo Alto, Calif., have concluded a six-month pilot study analyzing data related to recyclable material types, volumes and flow through nine hospital departments, as well as documenting clinical recycling processes and lessons learned, according to an article on the FacilityCare website.

The study developed comprehensive waste profiles across procedural, patient care and ancillary areas at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, including operating room, ambulatory surgery, pre- and post-anesthesia, radiology, catheter-angiography and pharmacy.

“We set out to gain a better understanding of plastic waste characterization within healthcare facilities, and through the tenacious leadership of Stanford, we now have detailed insight and process recommendations for efficient, high-quality and cost-effective recycling of plastics,” Tod Christenson, director of HPRC, said in the article. “The results of this pilot will provide invaluable, experience-based guidance to other hospitals seeking to establish a plastics recycling program in clinical settings.”

Stanford Hospital and Clinics’ clinical recycling program to date will divert more than 110 tons of noninfectious packaging material from landfills annually. Recycling collection offered a 75 percent cost savings compared with municipal waste collection, the article said.

“Clinical recycling is an important part of our overall sustainable waste management strategy here at Stanford,” Krisanne Hanson, director of sustainability, Stanford University Medical Center, said in the article. “We will continue to expand our recycling efforts throughout our hospital and clinics using the data and knowledge collected during this study to estimate diversion targets, inform planning and rollout strategies and drive program improvements. 

Read the article.