CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2023
| Author | Christine May Gaylan |
|---|---|
| Title | Plastic Waste Hierarchy-Technology Readiness Level and Circular Economy Practices of Hospitals in the Philippines |
| Summary | Plastic wastes in the hospital setting include polyethylene terephthalate or polyester (PET/PETE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene and expanded polystyrene or styrofoam (PS), polycarbonate (PC), polyurethane (PUR), polyamide (PA), nitrile rubbers, and polylactide (PLA), which classified according to their resin identification. Plastic wastes may be medical or non- medical, and reusable or non- reusable. The current medical waste classification system does not account for the quantity of the plastic wastes generated in hospitals. There has been a surge of medical waste production brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic which has also increased plastic waste generation. While the reduction of plastic use has been identified in several government plans and policies as a priority, there is a lack of understanding and support in plastic waste minimization in hospitals in view of their nature as major waste generators. This study developed the Plastic Waste and Sustainability Assessment Tool and Waste Hierarchy- Technology Readiness Levels (WH-TRL) Framework for Philippine waste treatment and disposal technologies with the aim of assessing the waste management practices of hospitals in terms of their alignment to the circular economy principles. This study serves as a baseline data collection on the hospitals’ waste management practices in line with sustainability and circular economy, specifically, on the consumption of plastics and succeeding plastic waste generation. The assessment tool may be adopted by the facility as a policy and planning tool and a guide for institutional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. Moreover, the assessment tool will supplement the existing waste management guidelines and may be utilized as an internal audit or evaluation tool. The study has found that pyrolysis and incineration are the technologies with the highest maturity and circularity potential. The knowledge of the composition and amount of plastic wastes generated enables their efficient collection, maximizing the recycling rate of core materials and potentially prolonging their use phase and their lifecycle. It is recommended to conduct further cost- benefit analyses on the adoption of pyrolysis and modernized incineration in the treatment of both medical and non- medical plastic wastes in order to recycle plastic resins and energy, and reduce the volume of wastes disposed in sanitary landfills. The establishment of public- private partnerships is also recommended for co-financing on infrastructure supporting renewable energy and rainwater harvesting. Capacity development for hospital staff and waste service providers or TSDs should also be developed. Furthermore, it is recommended that the government support the transition of hospitals into sustainability in terms of waste management, energy and water efficiency, and material sustainability to minimize their carbon footprint and adapt to and mitigate climate change. |
| Supervisor | Illes, Zoltan |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy MSc |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2023/gaylan_christine-may.pdf |
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