Sustainable Resource Circulation in Hospitals: A Review of Practices and Challenges

The research report examines sustainable resource circulation, in hospitals, by combining (1) literature-based discussion on circular economy practices in health care; and (2) survey-based evidence on actual waste segregation and recycling behavior. According to the research hospitals generate multiple streams of waste and that concerted efforts for sustainability must align with infection-control requirements so circular (reduce–reuse–recycle–recover) strategy becomes difficult but still possible. Results of the survey indicated moderate awareness regarding the segregation systems among the employees. In addition, the exposure to training was found to be limited and segregation practices were inconsistent. Moreover, the clarity/implementation of recycling systems were weak, indicating the gap between written systems phase and daily operational phase. The report indicates that training is a key predictor of segregation. In contrast, recycling is more dependent on external systems – vendor availability/ readiness, and infrastructure and reliable collection linkages.