HPRC Europe tests automated sorting of hospital plastic waste

Hospital plastic packaging waste can be mechanically sorted using commercial-scale technology, according to a new study by the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC). The crucial aspect is that contamination is tightly controlled.

The case study, ‘Unlocking Recycling Potential: Automated Sorting Trials of Medical Plastic Waste’, builds on an earlier Dutch pilot that confirmed manual sorting is technically feasible. This second-phase trial, carried out in Germany, evaluates whether automated systems can deliver similar results under real-world conditions.

45% recovered

In August 2024, 76 kgs of non-hazardous plastic packaging waste was collected from 14 locations at Universitätsklinikum Bonn. The material, gathered without compaction to reflect typical hospital practice, included both rigid and flexible packaging.

At the Tomra Test Center, the batch first underwent ballistic separation to split rigid and flexible fractions. Optical sorting systems then targeted polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using near-infrared detection and air-jet ejection.

The results are promising but highlight clear limitations. Automated sorting recovered 45% of rigid plastics into PP, PE and PET streams. However, 55% of rigid material was rejected and would likely go to incineration. Researchers note that industrial pre-treatment, such as compaction or size screening, could significantly improve recovery rates.

Problematic fractions

Flexible plastics proved more challenging. While 10.5 kgs of PE flexibles — around 20% of the flexible fraction — was recovered, multi-material films entered the stream, posing contamination risks and reducing recyclate quality.

Contamination remains the primary barrier. Blood residues, pharmaceutical traces and food waste must be removed at source to keep streams non-hazardous. During the trial, manual inspection was still required, underlining the importance of staff training and strict segregation protocols.

Enhance before scaling up

The study concludes that automated sorting of healthcare packaging is ‘technically viable’. However, scaling the process depends on better source separation, design-for-recycling principles and collaboration across the value chain. Without these measures, contamination and complex multi-material packaging will continue to limit recycling potential in the healthcare sector.