Modern health care saves lives. It also churns out mountains of waste, much of it clean plastic that could be reused if handled appropriately. Put simply, hospitals produce millions of tons of nonhazardous waste every year. That’s gloves, gowns, packaging, trays—all those single-use items we rely on for sterile, efficient care. Sure, they’re convenient, but that convenience comes with a price, and that’s a problem we can’t keep sweeping under the rug.
A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health revealed that health care makes up about 4.4 percent of global carbon emissions. If it were its own country, the global health care sector would be the fifth-largest polluter in the world, according to a report by Health Care Without Harm. And here in the U.S., we top the charts, accounting for over a quarter of that global health care footprint. That’s a big disconnect between our mission to heal and the harm being done to the planet.
So why aren’t hospitals recycling more? It’s not for lack of trying.
A lot of material gets burned or buried thanks to solvable problems, like clunky logistics, budget gaps or the old myth that most hospital waste is hazardous. The truth is, much of it, especially from operating rooms, never touches a patient and is perfectly clean.
Now, with patient care and sustainability both top of mind, hospitals are starting to shift. Many are partnering with innovators to recycle nonhazardous materials and adopt circular practices.
For recyclers, it’s a big opportunity to help health care reduce its footprint, recover valuable resources and build a healthier future for people and the planet.
First, do no harm
Research from Reston, Virginia-based health care recycling advocacy group Practice Greenhealth found that hospitals generate more than 5 million tons of waste annually. According to the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, 14,000 tons of waste are generated each day by U.S. health care facilities. Up to 85 percent of this waste is nonhazardous, including sterile packaging, wraps, gowns, masks and other single-use plastics.
To get a sense of just how big health care’s waste footprint is, think about aviation—a well-known polluter.
According to a 2020 study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, air travel made up approximately 3.5-4 percent of human-caused climate change. With hospital waste responsible for roughly 4.4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, health care, for all its life-saving work, actually contributes more to the climate crisis than airplanes.
Hospitals are in the business of healing, but they’re unintentionally adding to the very problems threatening global health, such as heat waves, dirty air and fast-spreading infections. It’s time we made health care part of the solution.
Why health care wastes so much
Hospitals operate under immense regulatory pressure and high-stakes time constraints. Material is managed in fast, linear workflows that prioritize safety, sterility and efficiency. That often means recyclables are thrown away.
In this single-use system, used materials are landfilled or incinerated regardless of whether they are hazardous. This one-way flow generates vast amounts of waste while squandering valuable resources that otherwise could be recovered. By not closing the loop, we’re missing opportunities for resource efficiency, cost savings and environmental stewardship.
Instead of relying on linear waste models, hospitals need to shift to a more circular approach where we safely reuse materials and recycle with purpose. This isn’t just smart; it’s essential if we want our health care systems to truly support long-term public health, not work against it.
Another driver of the linear model is a stubborn misunderstanding that most medical waste is hazardous or contaminated. A good portion of it isn’t. This misconception leads to tossing perfectly recyclable materials straight into an incinerator or landfill.
To make matters trickier, hospitals generate all sorts of waste from every corner of their operations, and that jumble of materials makes sorting and recycling a real challenge.
Then there’s the human side of the equation. Like with many sustainability efforts, comfort and habit can stand in the way of progress. Workers on the front lines worry that going green might mean more work piled onto already full plates, and that kind of concern can make it tough to get people on board.
Meanwhile, administrators and those tasked with managing budgets often don’t have the clear financial data they need to make the case for change.
Considering these challenges, it’s no surprise that many hospitals don’t have clear protocols or steady access to proper medical-grade recycling services.
Recycling’s role in greening the industry
As more doctors, nurses and hospital staff look at the piles of single-use waste going out the door each day, they’re asking a fair question: Does all this trash fit with our promise to “do no harm?” That question is driving the push for better recycling and less waste.
New regulations around hazardous waste, emissions and single-use plastic have put hospitals on alert, not just to stay legal but also to dodge hefty fines. Now, add in the rise of environmental, social and governance, or ESG, reporting in big health systems. With waste numbers and carbon footprints out in the open, there’s more pressure than ever to do better.
That pressure is starting to move the needle. Hospitals are connecting with recycling-minded partners, rethinking how they buy and dispose of supplies and choosing vendors who share their goals.
These days, cutting waste isn’t just a back-office concern—it’s a front-and-center issue tied to how hospitals plan, manage risk and keep their promises for the long haul.
Closing the loop on health and sustainability
Virgin resin is made from fossil fuels and not only is heavy on emissions but is tied to the ups and downs of oil and gas prices. Price swings make it tough for hospitals and suppliers to budget for everyday items like sterile packaging and surgical wrap.
On the flip side, recycling clean plastics from operating rooms offers a steadier, more affordable supply. Building a circular system—where used plastics are turned into new, noncritical products—helps reduce material sent to landfill, lowers emissions and makes supply chains more reliable. It’s a practical step that supports both sustainability and smart business.
Plenty of health care systems have found they can cut down on hefty hauling and dumping fees from traditional waste companies once they get a good recycling program up and running. In some cases, those savings go a long way toward covering the cost of recycling.
Lately, there’s also been a push to group hospitals and clinics in the same area into local recycling networks. By working together, they’re seeing some real economies of scale, and that’s helping bring down the overall cost of recycling even more.
Northwell Health: Leading the charge
Northwell Health, New York’s largest health system, is blazing a trail toward a more sustainable future.
Earlier this year, Northwell rolled out a new recycling program aimed at reclaiming up to 50 percent of the waste from its operating rooms. Before surgery even begins, sterile packaging is set aside and, afterward, clean items like blue wraps, drapes, face masks and personal protective equipment are gathered up. Everything’s sorted into color-coded bags, shredded and turned into high-quality plastic pellets used to make new goods like benches, trays and containers.
Northwell kicked things off this March at its Center for Advanced Medicine, an ambulatory surgery center that handles over 6,000 cases a year. By April, the program expanded to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, then to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, with plans to cover all 250-plus operating rooms across the system by September.
Northwell teamed up with its health care products supplier to build a closed-loop system from the ground up.
With help from staff and operating room nurses, Northwell designed a color-coded process that is easy to follow, fits into the daily routine and includes monthly scorecards that show how much is being recycled, helping make the recycling business case to hospital leadership.
By giving new life to materials that used to go to the landfill, Northwell is turning waste into something useful. Northwell’s system captures between 5 to 15 pounds of clean plastic per procedure, with an industry-leading 90 percent capture rate for presurgical materials. Starting with a 25 percent recycling goal, Northwell is aiming higher every year, with its sights set on net-zero emissions by 2050 and a strong focus on buying products made from recycled materials.
Toward a circular future in health care
Hospitals shouldn’t have to choose between saving lives and saving the planet. The path to circular health care starts with smart, scalable recycling. Health care systems that embrace circular economy practices not only reduce their carbon footprints but also contribute to community health, resilience and resource efficiency.
This is a defining moment for recycling professionals to lead with purpose. By stepping up as strategic partners, we can help hospitals reimagine waste not as a burden but as a resource.
With circular systems at the center of care, recycling experts have the power to drive a healthier future for patients, providers and the planet.
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