Hospital Waste Characterization

A hospital’s waste stream can be complex, but understanding the makeup of your waste stream and what portion of that could be impacted by a recycling program is vital. Using some basic benchmarks, HPRC has put together an equation to help you characterize the waste stream at your hospital.

Healthcare facilities in the United States generate approximately 14,000 tons of waste per day. It is estimated that between 20 and 25 percent of that 6,600 tons can be attributed to plastic packaging and plastic products. In addition, 85 percent of the waste generated is non-infectious. Learn more at the HPRC website.

About HPRC

HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. HPRC is made up of brand leading and globally recognized members including Baxter, BD, Cardinal Health, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Ravago Manufacturing Americas and SABIC Innovative Plastics. The council convenes biannually at meetings hosted by an HPRC member that include facility tours to further learning and knowledge sharing opportunities through first-hand demonstration of best practices in sustainable product and packaging design and recycling processes. For more information, visit www.hprc.org.