PVC medical waste
PVC medical waste - Vinyl Council Australia
| Sometimes claims are made suggesting that PVC is not a suitable material for medical products because the manufacturing of PVC and incineration of PVC products may release dioxins. PVC is not a significant source of dioxin emissions. Dioxin is a by-product of burning and is not specific to vinyl. For example, a report to the Australian Government's Environment Department estimates that 60–80 per cent of dioxin emissions to air in Australia arise from agricultural burning off, residential wood combustion and bushfires. Medical incinerators, municipal waste incinerators and halogen chemical manufacture (such as PVC production) together contribute less than 1 per cent in total. The key determinants of incinerator dioxin generation are combustion temperature and efficiency of cool-down, rather than the chlorine content of the feed. View more about dioxin emissions in our section on Dioxins in PVC & the environment. |
| PVC medical devices and recycling |
| In 2008, the Vinyl Council commenced a trial project in conjunction with the Western Hospital, Melbourne, and a PVC recycler to recover non-contaminated PVC waste from the hospital's theatre and intensive care unit. The products recovered for recycling include saline solution bags, tubing and oxygen masks. The recyclate is being used for new (non-medical) hosing. In 2009, the group plans to extend the project. |
