Plant-based plastics could help reduce the millions of tonnes of medical waste hospitals generate each year

By Elham Moshk Bid, Research Assistant, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan
Chris Zhang, Professor Mechanical Engineering, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan
Duncan Cree, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University
Lori Bradford, Assistant Professor, School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan

Hospitals around the world generate millions of tonnes of plastic waste annually. Much of this waste comes from single-use items such as face masks, surgical gloves, syringes, IV tubes and sterile packaging materials.

What’s worse is that many of these medical plastics aren’t biodegradable. This means they can persist in landfills or oceans for centuries. Eventually they break down into micro- and nano-sized particles, which pose many risks to the…

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