- Niğde Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi
- Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1
- Examining the environmental and economic dimensions of producing fuel from medical waste plastics
Examining the environmental and economic dimensions of producing fuel from medical waste plastics
Authors : Çağrı Ün
Pages : 279-293
Doi:10.28948/ngumuh.1367080
View : 48 | Download : 72
Publication Date : 2024-01-15
Article Type : Research
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 : Piroliz yağı, Taşıt yakıtı, Yaşam döngüsü analizi (YDA), Sera gazı (GHG) emisyonları, Tıbbi atık plastikleri