Can I recycle broken medical equipment?

Keeping us healthy and treating us when we are sick requires a wide range of different types of medical equipment.

So, is broken medical equipment recyclable?

It all depends on the specifics – the nature of the equipment, how much of it there is, and whether it contains hazardous materials or components.

Why recycle?

There are two main reasons to recycle broken medical equipment.

The first is to extract any hazardous materials to prevent them being released into the environment.

Examples are mercury-containing items such as thermometers and sphygmomanometers. These can contain quite large amounts of mercury which, when disposed of in landfill, becomes a significant source of mercury pollution.

The second major reason to recycle is to recover valuable and exhaustible resources.

These include steel, copper, gold and some plastics.

In a world growing ever hungrier for resources, recycling will become an increasingly important source of many materials.

Refining the list

What broken medical equipment and associated items should you be looking to recycle?

Ecocycle is a specialist recycler specifically equipped to undertake all steps of the mercury recycling process.

We can recycle all types of mercury-containing medical equipment.

We also recycle a wide range of everyday items (some of which contain mercury) that all medical facilities rely on, including:

Out of the ordinary

If you have broken medical equipment that doesn’t fit this list, give us a call anyway.

If we can’t develop a custom recycling solution just for you, we may be able to refer you to another company that can.

The medical sector is full of passionate people committed to delivering positive health outcomes and promoting wellbeing. It’s the same with Ecocycle. Working together, we can foster good health by maintaining a cleaner environment.

To find out more about the safe recycling of your medical equipment, call us on 1300 32 62 92 and speak to one of our experts. Or fill out the form below, and we’ll be in touch.

Share:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
News & Media

Related News

How your workplace can run its own e-waste recycling scheme

E-waste impact continues to grow

Without a doubt the impact of e-waste continues to grow with its significant impact on the environment.     Indeed, only 12% of the nation’s computers are recycled. At this time, Australia is the fourth highest generator of e-waste per capita in the world.  Poorly managed e-waste means heavy metals and hazardous waste such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants leak into the environment.  Clearly, the risks of data leaks are also increased if the device’s storage aren’t carefully treated.

Mercury Batch distiller

Managing Mercury Risk

Managing mercury risk is an important issue for many Australian industrial companies.  Mercury causes very harmful and lasting health impacts due to its toxicity.  The