Examining the environmental and economic dimensions of producing fuel from medical waste plastics

Abstract

The increasing challenge of managing medical waste plastics has spurred the exploration of various waste management strategies. This comprehensive study delves into the environmental and economic aspects of different approaches to medical waste management; incineration, landfilling, and pyrolysis, with a specific focus on plastics-to-fuels conversion. The study provides a critical assessment of these methods, highlighting their sustainability and environmental implications. In this study, it was conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), with a particular focus on comparing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Notably, landfill, a commonly employed method for medical waste disposal, was found to produce lower GHGs than incineration and pyrolysis. However, it does have the drawback of leaving waste as a final product, and its long-term environmental consequences are uncertain, emphasizing the need to explore new technologies. Moreover, this study envisions the conversion of pyrolysis oil from medical waste plastics into a viable fuel source for circular economy, providing a sustainable solution to the growing problem of medical waste plastics. It predicts that in 2030, 799,163 kg of fuel can be obtained from medical waste plastic pyrolysis in the Adana province. As a result, the implementation of a circular economy through the utilization of medical waste plastic pyrolysis oil is projected to yield annual economic profits of up to $4,794,979. Furthermore, this approach has been verified to effectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to incineration. Moreover, this innovative strategy has been scientifically validated to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, making it an environmentally responsible and economically promising solution for the future.

Keywords

• Pyrolysis oil
• Vehicle fuel
• Life cycle assessment (LCA)
• Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• Medical waste plastics

Tıbbi atık plastiklerden yakıt üretiminin çevresel ve ekonomik boyutlarının incelenmesi

Öz

Tıbbi atık plastiklerin yönetiminde giderek artan zorluklar, çeşitli atık yönetimi stratejilerinin araştırılmasını teşvik etmiştir. Bu kapsamlı çalışma; plastiklerin yakıtlara dönüştürülmesine özel olarak odaklanarak, tıbbi atık yönetimine yönelik farklı yaklaşımların (yakma, düzenli depolama ve piroliz) çevresel ve ekonomik yönlerini incelemektedir. Çalışma, bu yöntemlerin detaylı bir değerlendirmesini sunarak sürdürülebilirlik ve çevresel etkilerini vurgulamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, özellikle sera gazı (GHG) emisyonlarının karşılaştırılmasına adına bir Yaşam Döngüsü Analizi (LCA) yapılmıştır. Özellikle, tıbbi atık bertarafı için yaygın olarak kullanılan bir yöntem olan düzenli depolamanın, yakma ve pirolize göre daha düşük sera gazı ürettiği tespit edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte, atığı nihai ürün olarak doğaya bırakma dezavantajına sahiptir ve uzun vadeli çevresel sonuçları belirsizdir, bu da yeni teknolojilerin araştırılması ihtiyacını ortaya koyar. Ayrıca bu çalışma, tıbbi atık plastiklerden elde edilen piroliz yağının döngüsel ekonomi için uygun bir yakıt kaynağına dönüştürülmesini ve büyüyen tıbbi atık plastik sorununa sürdürülebilir bir çözüm getirilmesini öngörmektedir. Adana ilinde 2030 yılında tıbbi atık plastik pirolizinden 799.163 kg yakıt elde edilebileceği öngörülmektedir. Sonuç olarak, tıbbi atık plastiklerinden elde edilen piroliz yağının kullanılması yoluyla döngüsel bir ekonominin uygulanmasının yıllık 4.794.979 $'a kadar ekonomik kazanç sağlayacağı öngörülmektedir. Ayrıca, bu yaklaşımın sera gazı (GHG) emisyonlarını yakmaya kıyasla etkili bir şekilde azalttığı doğrulanmıştır, bu da yakıt eldesini gelecek için çevresel açıdan sorumlu ve ekonomik açıdan umut verici bir çözüm haline getirmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Piroliz yağı
• Taşıt yakıtı
• Yaşam döngüsü analizi (YDA)
• Sera gazı (GHG) emisyonları
• Tıbbi atık plastikleri

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