Recycling PVC medical tubing cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 25% compared to incineration
Hospitals are looking for ways to reduce their climate impact and consumption of resources. Since 2022, the VinylPlus Med recycling scheme has help Belgian hospitals to sort their DEHP-free PVC-based medical waste, which is turned into hospital wall covering and other durable products.
To evaluate the tangible benefits of the recycling efforts, French consultancy Ecovamed conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on PVC-based medical tubing in Europe. This evaluation estimated the carbon footprint from start to end, adhering to the GHG Protocol standard, and analysed two scenarios for the tubing’s end-of-life:
- Incineration with energy recovery and acid flue gas treatment
- Recycling of medical tubing by mechanical grinding in Belgium, with an 80% yield, and production of wall coverings with the recycled material
On a cradle-to-grave basis, recycling allows to reduce by 25% the greenhouse gas emissions of a PVC medical tubing on its full life cycle, as compared to the scenario with incineration, corresponding to 2.0 kg CO2eq avoided per kg of tubing.
6,200 tons of plasticised PVC being used each year in Europe to produce medical tubing. The annual greenhouse gas avoided emissions if all medical tubing would be recycled are 13,165 tonnes CO2eq emissions, which is equivalent to 7,438 back and forth flights for 1 passenger between Paris and New York.
