Abstract
Hospital plastic waste poses significant challenges due to its volume, hazardous nature, and environmental persistence. This review consolidates recent advancements in the pyrolysis of hospital plastic waste, evaluating its feasibility as a sustainable solution within healthcare waste management systems. Findings reveal that pyrolysis offers high oil yields when optimized for key operational parameters – specifically temperatures between 400 and 500 °C, moderate heating rates, and residence times tailored to specific plastic types. The review identifies polypropylene and polyethylene as the most suitable hospital-derived plastics for pyrolysis, though the presence of contaminants, such as PVC or biological residues, can significantly hinder process efficiency and environmental compliance. Emerging studies demonstrate that upgrading pyrolysis oil quality and utilizing byproducts like char and syngas can improve the overall economic and ecological performance of the process. Furthermore, integration of pyrolysis into hospital waste management systems is technically feasible and scalable, especially when supported by pre-sorting protocols and decentralized processing units. The review concludes that pyrolysis, when appropriately managed and regulated, can contribute to a circular economy by converting hazardous plastic waste into energy resources while minimizing environmental impact. These findings support the implementation of pyrolysis as a green and economically viable technology, encouraging policy frameworks and infrastructure investment to promote its adoption in healthcare facilities.
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Research ethics: Not applicable.
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Informed consent: Not applicable.
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Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
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Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Data availability: Not applicable.
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© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- A critical review on pyrolysis and integration strategies for medical plastic waste
- Articles
- Enhancing batch reactor temperature control: a hybrid PID-MPC approach for magnesium stearate production from palm stearin
- A novel naphthalene-pyridine Schiff base sensor for highly selective colorimetric detection of Fe2+, Fe3+, and Cu2+ ions
- Deposition of vanadium-doped black TiO2 nanoparticles on glass beads to enable the degradation of methylene blue under visible light
- Enhanced photo-fenton-like degradation of Orange II using iron-rich natural clay and oxalic acid under UVA-Vis irradiation
- Treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater using waste derived biochar: experiment and modelling
- Chemical kinetic analysis of H2–NH3 addition on premixed natural gas flame at elevated pressures
- The nonideal mixing effect on the selectivity dynamic of consecutive-parallel reactions in an isothermal continuous stirred tank reactor based on Cholette’s model
- Investigating the effectiveness of UV, PAC, UV H2O2 and UV Na2S2O8 processes in removing malachite green (MG) dye from aquatic environments
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- A critical review on pyrolysis and integration strategies for medical plastic waste
- Articles
- Enhancing batch reactor temperature control: a hybrid PID-MPC approach for magnesium stearate production from palm stearin
- A novel naphthalene-pyridine Schiff base sensor for highly selective colorimetric detection of Fe2+, Fe3+, and Cu2+ ions
- Deposition of vanadium-doped black TiO2 nanoparticles on glass beads to enable the degradation of methylene blue under visible light
- Enhanced photo-fenton-like degradation of Orange II using iron-rich natural clay and oxalic acid under UVA-Vis irradiation
- Treatment of slaughterhouse wastewater using waste derived biochar: experiment and modelling
- Chemical kinetic analysis of H2–NH3 addition on premixed natural gas flame at elevated pressures
- The nonideal mixing effect on the selectivity dynamic of consecutive-parallel reactions in an isothermal continuous stirred tank reactor based on Cholette’s model
- Investigating the effectiveness of UV, PAC, UV H2O2 and UV Na2S2O8 processes in removing malachite green (MG) dye from aquatic environments