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NCL in Pune develops tech to convert biomedical waste to plastic
The new research, announced on Tuesday, is based on a system of autoclaving biomedical waste. Face masks and PPE suits were burnt earlier. Now this new recycling system will allow plastic products to be made from the bio-medical waste
A plastic bucket or mug, a computer part or a car part made from discarded face masks and PPE suits used by health workers and doctors - that is what the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune is claiming its research has proven can happen.
The new research, announced on Tuesday, is based on a system of autoclaving biomedical waste. Face masks and PPE suits were burnt earlier. Now this new recycling system will allow plastic products to be made from the bio-medical waste.
Small particles of plastic are made after a recycling process and then converted into various products.
“In this pandemic all health workers and hospital staffers use PPE kits for protections and face masks. When the pandemic was at its peak our country was producing almost 200 tonnes per day of this waste. It was thrown away and eventually burnt. So we decided to reuse and recycle it. So we got five companies together for this project. The idea is ours but these companies will actually implement it,” said Dr Ashish Lele, director, NCL.
“These companies are doing a pilot project in Pune where 150kg of this biomedical waste will be recycled and turned into products. There is only one company in Pune which collects biomedical waste from hospitals, swab centres, vaccination centres, and airports. Right now we are only taking face masks and PPE suits. First we got authorisation from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB),” said Dr Lele.
“There is process called ‘autoclaving’ which is to sanitise these used masks and suits. It is basically to heat to a certain temperature in the presence of steam and then all viruses are inactivated,” he added.
“Then we bring all this waste and keep it for some more days in quarantine and then we take it to recycling, where it is first shredded and then converted into small particles. That becomes the product and from that multiple plastic products are made. We are working with a company which uses this product to convert it into a automotive car, then also other things like computer parts and household items,” said Dr Lele.
NCL hired research students to work on this project, and the waste management company gave the PPE kits.
NCL will take the technology all over the country once the Pune operation is established.
