Stop Burning Fossil-Fuel Based Plastics

The Urgent Need to Transition from Single-Use Fossil-Fuel Based Plastics in Healthcare and the Life Sciences

In the healthcare and life sciences sector, the increasing reliance on single-use fossil-fuel based plastics, particularly polypropylene (PP), raises significant environmental concerns. These materials, derived from finite resources, contribute extensively to environmental degradation. The need for a transition to more sustainable alternatives is critical, especially for items that must be incinerated, like hazardous clinical waste.

Clinical Waste Incineration in Europe: Volumes and CO₂ Emissions

Europe generates millions of tons of clinical waste annually, a considerable portion of which is incinerated to safely dispose of hazardous materials as contaminated consumables cannot be reused. While necessary, this process has a substantial environmental impact leading to significant CO₂ emissions. The combined CO₂ emissions from the incineration of healthcare and life science waste in Europe could be around 5 to 7 million tons of CO₂ per year, depending on the waste generation rates, incineration practices, and energy recovery methods. This is equivalent to the emissions from about 15 million barrels of crude oil or the yearly electricity usage of 2.5 million households. Clinical waste containers rank as the third-largest product group incinerated, following examination gloves and disposable aprons. Replacing fossil-fuel based bins with more sustainable alternatives like WoodSafe™ and Bio-Bin™ containers could potentially reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 91 percent and also significantly reduce the use of fossil-fuel based plastics.

WoodSafe: A Sustainable Alternative

WoodSafe™ is an innovative range of clinical waste bins made from renewable residual material from the forestry industry in Sweden. They are designed to replace various fossil-fuel based polymers while achieving high tensile strength with a low CO₂ footprint — making them ideal for transporting sharps and hazardous waste that require flexibility and durability before incineration. WoodSafe™ meets stringent UN-requirements while minimizing environmental impact. Every PP-bin replaced by WoodSafe™ can be measured in actual numbers giving valuable input for sustainability reporting, making their use probably one of the easiest climate actions in the world.

Bio-bin: The Low Carbon Paper-Based Clinical Waste Container

The Bio-bin™ is a paper-based clinical waste container designed as the safe and environmentally-friendly way to dispose of all your non-sharps clinical waste. The containers are crafted from 96 percent paper, sourced sustainably from FSC certified forests, with the sole goal of creating greener medical and lab facilities. They are designed to arrive flat-packed to save you space in your stores and they weigh just grams, reducing the cost of your waste disposal bill.

Each bin has been developed with a Bio-matt™ in the base, which has been specifically designed to soak up any excess liquid while the waterproof coating prevents leakage.

Steps for Transitioning to More Sustainable Clinical Waste Management

To make the simple switch to a more sustainable clinical waste container, first, evaluate your current usage of fossil-fuel based plastic bins and identify the volume and types utilised. Secondly, set goals and define clear sustainability objectives to work towards, such as reducing CO₂ emissions and increasing renewable material usage. Thirdly, educate and involve staff on the benefits of using more sustainable materials and proper waste segregation practices. Finally, make responsible purchasing decisions and consider a product's life cycle when making choices, including sustainability, warranty, and end-of-life disposal.

You can also request a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), including cradle-to-grave analysis, to make informed sustainability decisions. Then, raise awareness of the transition's positive environmental impact and of regulatory compliance by regularly showcasing actual numbers of decreased CO₂ emissions, i.e., monthly or quarterly. These numbers can then also be used in the company’s corporate sustainability reporting as a Scope 3 initiative. Both Bio-bin™ and WoodSafe™ have completed full LCA’s for their products and are able to showcase the carbon footprint reduction when switching from a fossil-fuel based container to a more sustainable option. As leaders in easy Scope 3 initiatives both companies have user-friendly CO₂ emission calculators available free of charge for measuring and showing actual and potential CO₂ savings.

Upcoming Legal Requirements: CSRD and ESRS

The European Union is addressing environmental challenges through new regulatory frameworks, notably the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). These regulations will impose stringent reporting requirements on companies, mandating detailed disclosures regarding sustainability practices, including waste management and CO₂ emissions reduction. Upcoming regulations are set to enforce stricter reporting on waste management practices, pushing healthcare facilities toward sustainable waste solutions. Under the CSRD, companies will need to report their environmental impact, emphasizing the use of renewable materials and efforts to decrease reliance on fossil-fuel based plastics. The ESRS will provide specific guidelines for measuring and reporting these impacts, ensuring transparency and accountability. Make sure you’re ahead of the game in making sustainable choices for your clinical waste containers.

Conclusion

Transitioning from single-use fossil-fuel based plastics to more sustainable materials in the healthcare and life sciences sector is both an environmental imperative and a regulatory necessity. With millions of tons of clinical waste generated annually and substantial CO₂ emissions resulting from incineration, there is an urgent call for life science players to adopt more sustainable practices and actively work on Scope 3 improvements while complying with upcoming legal requirements. This shift is crucial for protecting our planet and ensuring a sustainable future for the life sciences industry.