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Economic Conditions to Circularize Clinical Plastics

Author

Listed:
  • Jhuma Sadhukhan

    (Centre for Environment and Sustainability, School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK)

  • Kartik Sekar

    (Department of Chemical & Process Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK)

Abstract

Over 5.5 million tons of plastic waste are generated globally from the research sectors. A university laboratory, e.g., pathology, can generate 250 tons of clinical plastic waste annually. The UK National Health Service (NHS) generates 133 kilotons (kt) of clinical plastic waste annually. Healthcare facilities in the US generate 1.7 million tons of clinical plastic waste annually. In addition, 95% of the clinical plastics are single-use plastics derived from fossil resources, i.e., crude oils. These single-use clinical plastic wastes are incinerated, contributing to global warming, or go to the landfill, contributing to resource depletion. Plastic leakage is a major threat to the environment. This linear plastics economy model, take-make-dispose, must be replaced by a circular plastics economy, i.e., sort plastic wastes, wash, decontaminate, recover materials, blend with bio-based compounds as necessary and circulate recyclate plastics, for holistic systemic sustainability. While there are multi-faceted environmental drivers for a circular plastics economy, there are many uncertainties in the economic attributes, electricity price, labor cost and chemical cost being the primary ones influencing the cost of production of secondary or recyclate plastics, requiring government and policy support, such as a gate fee on plastic waste by the generators to the recyclers. An essential macroeconomic condition for techno-economically (or micro-economically) feasible plastic waste recycling is low oil and gas prices that influence the recyclate plastics and electricity prices. It is essential to de-fossilize the economy by decoupling renewable electricity generation from natural gas consumption and fossil-independent biopolymer productions displacing fossil-derived plastics to stimulate the circular economy. This study shows a comprehensive and robust technoeconomic analysis of mechanical recycling of clinical plastic wastes into secondary plastics recovery.

Suggested Citation

  • Jhuma Sadhukhan & Kartik Sekar, 2022. "Economic Conditions to Circularize Clinical Plastics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-19, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:23:p:8974-:d:985882
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sadhukhan, Jhuma & Lloyd, Jon R. & Scott, Keith & Premier, Giuliano C. & Yu, Eileen H. & Curtis, Tom & Head, Ian M., 2016. "A critical review of integration analysis of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) systems with waste biorefineries for the production of biofuel and chemical from reuse of CO2," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 116-132.
    2. Jhuma Sadhukhan, 2022. "Net-Zero Action Recommendations for Scope 3 Emission Mitigation Using Life Cycle Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.
    3. Nikiema, Josiane & Asiedu, Zipporah, 2022. "A review of the cost and effectiveness of solutions to address plastic pollution," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 1-27.().
    4. Sadhukhan, Jhuma, 2022. "Net zero electricity systems in global economies by life cycle assessment (LCA) considering ecosystem, health, monetization, and soil CO2 sequestration impacts," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 960-974.
    5. Jhuma Sadhukhan & Bruno G. Pollet & Miles Seaman, 2022. "Hydrogen Production and Storage: Analysing Integration of Photoelectrolysis, Electron Harvesting Lignocellulose, and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide-Fixing Biosynthesis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-13, July.
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