2024-08-07 チャルマース工科大学
＜関連情報＞
- https://news.cision.com/chalmers/r/how-the-plastic-mountain-from-healthcare-could-be-recycled,c4022011
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344923004767?via%3Dihub
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652622022739?via%3Dihub
水蒸気ガス化は、使い捨て医療品をプラスチック産業用の高収率化学構成要素に変換するための実行可能なソリューションである Steam gasification as a viable solution for converting single-use medical items into chemical building blocks with high yields for the plastic industry
Judith González-Arias, Renesteban Forero-Franco, Chahat Mandviwala, Martin Seemann
Resources, Conservation and Recycling Available online: 23 November 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107342
Highlights
- In circular economy plans, medical wastes are overlooked due to decontamination needs, health risks, and financial effects.
- Thermochemical recycling of infectious medical waste allows the recovery of valuable chemicals from the waste.
- Species recovered from medical waste thermochemical recycling can replace fossil fuels in plastic manufacturing.
- Thermochemical recycling of medical waste is a promising strategy for transitioning to circular-based societies.
- This process promotes a more sustainable approach to healthcare waste management.
Abstract
This study explores the challenge of recycling single-use medical items due to their non-recyclable nature and associated environmental concerns. To align with the circular economy principles, we propose thermochemical recycling, specifically steam gasification, for carbon atoms recovery. Face masks, plastic syringes, non-woven gowns, and nitrile gloves were tested at different temperatures (700 °C, 750 °C, and 800 °C) in a lab-scale reactor. A significant portion of the carbon in the feedstock could be effectively recovered as valuable chemical building blocks (i.e., olefins, ethane, and BTXS species), enabling their direct application in the chemical industry and reducing reliance on fossil resources. At 700 °C, carbon recovery percentages were approximately 79 % for face masks, 82 % for plastic syringes, 38 % for nitrile gloves, and 76 % for non-woven gowns. Higher temperatures led to reduced recovery due to secondary cracking reactions. Overall, this study highlights the circularity potential of single-use medical waste contributing to sustainable waste management in healthcare.
持続可能な循環型経済のための天然炭素材料と合成炭素材料のコ・リサイクル Co-recycling of natural and synthetic carbon materials for a sustainable circular economy
Isabel Cañete Vela, Teresa Berdugo Vilches, Göran Berndes, Filip Johnsson, Henrik Thunman
Journal of Cleaner Production Available online: 17 June 2022
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132674
Graphical abstract
Abstract
Circular economy approaches are commonly depicted by two cycles, where the biological cycle is associated with regeneration in the biosphere and the technical cycle with reuse, refurbishment, and recycling to maintain value and maximize material recovery. This work, instead, presents an alternative vision to the management of carbon-based materials that integrates the two cycles and enables the phasing-out of fossil carbon from the material system. The aim is to investigate the benefits and global potential of a co-recycling system, as an alternative to conventional recycling systems that separate biomass-based materials (e.g., wood, paper) from fossil-based materials (e.g., plastics). Thermochemical recycling technologies enable the conversion of carbon-based waste materials into high-quality synthetic products, promoting circularity and avoiding carbon losses such as carbon emissions and waste accumulation in landfills and nature. Here, the construction and analysis of co-recycling scenarios show how the deployment of thermochemical recycling technologies can decouple the material system from fossil resource extraction. Furthermore, energy use is reduced if pyrolysis and/or gasification are included in the portfolio of recycling technologies. In a decarbonized energy system, deployment of co-recycling can lead to near-zero carbon emissions, while in more carbon-intensive energy systems the choice of thermochemical recycling route is key to limiting carbon emissions.
