Waste Disposal

RE: Waste Disposal

Sal the 1st — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 21:44:10 GMT

[quote user="apache"]

Surgery is as well insulated as we can for an old building. Fought and won the battle for double glazed windows in a conservation area. All lights are LED. Oxygen concentrator rather than cylinders.

[/quote]

we moved into our new building a couple of years ago - all the lights are LED, I know the boss went to town on insulation , we have been using a concentrator for quite a few years now, the only cylinders we have are for xray room and emergency in case of power failure. If no other incentive its saved us a lot of money.

Must admit I am watching this with interest to see how what we do can possibly fit in with the mythical gold standard on eveything and anything. I realise that it probably won't come anywhere near gold standard but if you keep a close check on things and quickly change what doesn't work does it really make the way we do things so bad?

RE: Waste Disposal

Alison Clare Hickman — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 20:55:16 GMT

@apache

Likin ya style!

RE: Waste Disposal

apache — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 14:54:08 GMT

[quote user="Alison Clare Hickman"]The claim made re CO2 emissions for disposable versus washable nappies has been debunked as the comparison data was skewed.[/quote]

Having done some digging it seems to come down to a lot of factors - namely how you wash them and dry them. If you're NOT doing extra loads, washing at low temperatures and line drying then they use less. In a maybe more realistic model (you don't want dirty nappies hanging around, you might be running out, If I'm washing them I'm doing it on a hot wash for hygiene) then it looks similar. Move the argument to surgical drapes and you throw in extra steps like autoclaving and then any carbon saving is going out of the window. A plastic/paper drape is better quality IMO. All ours go in a yellow bag and are incinerated anyway.

Info here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/3353497/Nappies-terry-cloth-more-environmentally-friendly-than-disposable.html

[quote user="Alison Clare Hickman"]I'm sure we can work out a mutually agreeable and mutually healthier planet/pocket protocol [/quote]

I'm not generating any additional landfill waste, I'm just maximising what I can put in a black bag. I don't see the point paying extra for it to get to the same place in a tiger bag. I don't see the need to incinerate cat litter from work when from home it goes in the black bin.

We do what we can to recycle. Reuse bubble wrap and packing materials when sending things out. Dispense farm orders in cardboard boxes, rather than carrier bags (where available).

Surgery is as well insulated as we can for an old building. Fought and won the battle for double glazed windows in a conservation area. All lights are LED. Oxygen concentrator rather than cylinders.

I burn excess boxes and confidential paper on site as I believe its the lesser evil in term of getting rid of it.

We do have a large septic tank (not been emptied in 3 years), so not putting anything into mains sewers. Closer to a composting toilet, rather than conventional sewer to treatment site.

I have started the tube tangent.

RE: Waste Disposal

Sal the 1st — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 13:38:11 GMT

[quote user="apache"]

[back in the 90's my father worked for a company that installed a heat recovery system in the crematorium that used the heat to warm the building, would be interesting to know what happens to the heat from incinerated waste]

[/quote]

at home I have a coal fire and about 90% of my paper waste goes into making paper bricks - means I use less coal and I have to dispose of less paper. Make them during the summer months, dry outside in the warm weather and use in the winter https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Metal-Paper-Briquette-Maker/dp/B00979O4XY

RE: Waste Disposal

Alison Clare Hickman — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 09:03:25 GMT

Another wormhole visit... just come up for air

The claim made re CO2 emissions for disposable versus washable nappies has been debunked as the comparison data was skewed.

So, I'm sticking with my research that says plastic (and other medically-related non-hazardous waste) doesn't go to landfill wherever possible. Tiger bags are generally destined, as well as black bags, to end up in landfill. However, the bill-payer in me is greatly attracted to your comment about paying your nurses more... That's a moral dilemma for me to consider. Do I take X amount less per hour to reduce landfill waste? (Devil on one shoulder. Angel on the other. Both whispering in my ears...). Hmm. Think my current answer is that I don't have enough financial information available to make an evidence based judgement. I'm gonna say Number 5 needs more input. So stick on no landfill bags until that's available. And even if there is data, I'm sure we can work out a mutually agreeable and mutually healthier planet/pocket protocol

Won't comment on the rubber ET tubes as other people have done lots of in depth research on use of these and are far better qualified to provide evidence based information than me. Perhaps we should tangent it for further discussion as I'm very interested to hear more

Defo like the use of waste heat as a power source. Investigate more... Are there disposal companies that do this with their collected waste due for incineration?

Story time... When I was younger (circa the Cretaceous Period) the farm next door to my Great Aunts cottage located an outdoor composting toilet next to the muck heap. The back wall was always toasty warm. Fancy being in my wellies, PJ's and dressing gown in the snow for a midnight trek down the yard to ablute? Oh yes. I was very happy to spend time attending to my needs rather than nip off too quickly. It also had a supply of back issue Beano's. Huge entertainment. Ah happy days on the Isle of Wight. Sorry, perhaps TMI, hahahaha. I've got a rather random brain and a propensity to overshare...

RE: Waste Disposal

apache — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 14:33:38 GMT

I agree, but we have to make sure we have all the facts at our disposable before jumping to conclusions. I remember reading an article suggesting that reusable nappies actually generate more CO2 than disposables when you factor in things like washing. When we look at any medical practice it is inevitable that we will generate waste. In the dark and distant past I've worked in places that resterilised syringes and hypodermic needles - that wasn't good. I've used the crappy calico drapes that still have (sterile) hairs on from the last patient. Then we have a recent thread where people were slating the red, reusable, ET tubes, despite them being perfectly fine!

The point I was making is that IF the waste is ending up in landfill then I really don't care what colour bag it arrives in. I'd rather pay the nurses a bit more and put as much as I can in a black bag (with appropriate bloody things going in yellow).

RE: Waste Disposal

Alison Clare Hickman — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 13:04:21 GMT

apache

Agree however reducing (or not creating) landfill waste when you can is always a good idea?! As my old Ma used to say to me "Just because everybody else does it doesn't mean you have to".

If we all make an effort and think about changes to what we do and how we do it and why we do it, surely bit by bit, small effort by small effort it will add up to a big change?

Just sayin'

RE: Waste Disposal

apache — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 23:03:32 GMT

[quote user="Vicki92"]I only recently found out that tiger bags go to landfill... not ideal! [/quote]

Interesting why you think it's not ideal them going to landfill. Where do the millions of domestic cat litter tray contents end up? Where do you think the contents of the council dog faeces bins ends up? What happens to the used sanitary products from ladies on their periods? What happens when you take off a plaster or change your dressing at home? Babies nappies? The dead rabbit or guinea pig? All in the domestic bin.

The guy we use incinerates all clinical waste so no tiger bags, but I maximise what I can put out as domestic waste and generate very little that needs incineration.

RE: Waste Disposal

Alison Clare Hickman — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 21:30:46 GMT

https://www.bva.co.uk/Workplace-guidance/Practice-management/Handling-veterinary-waste/

Presume you have looked at this already but on the off chance you haven't...

Offensive Waste (Tiger Stripe bags) you can dispose of non-infectious bloodied swabs etc. Also faeces and vomit... Non-infectious. Zero body parts though.

As you identify, even though Tiger bags get heat treated they still end up in landfill. Boo. As a result some practices don't use them and just go for Hazardous waste, which is incinerated...

Hth

Ali h

RE: Waste Disposal

Sal the 1st — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 19:43:28 GMT

[quote user="Vicki92"]

I only recently found out that tiger bags go to landfill... not ideal!

[/quote]

yep this is why we won't use them - China and India have quite rightly said sod off we don't want your waste. We use yellow bags only that are incinerated. Anything medical goes in them except glass and sharps. Anything domestic goes in a black bag and any paperwork is boxed or grey bagged for incineration