Postprocedural Pyrolysis: A Feasibility Study on Chemical Recycling of Plastics Used During Surgery

Background: Hospitals generate large volumes of single-use plastic waste, which are predominantly incinerated. To improve sustainability, standardized procedure-specific surgical trays have been implemented, reducing waste and setup time. This early feasibility study investigated whether all residual plastics from surgical procedures could be recycled via pyrolysis into high-quality oil for circular reuse in medical supply production. Methods: All residual plastics from five transurethral resection (TUR) trays were subjected to pyrolysis at 430–460 °C in a batch reactor. Condensable fractions were separated into heavy (HF) and light (LF) oils, while non-condensable gases and coke were quantified. Chemical analyses included the density, water content, heating value, and elemental composition. Results: From 1.102 kg of input material, the process yielded 78 weight percent (wt%) oil (HF 59.1%, LF 40.9%), 20.5 wt% gas, and 1.5 wt% coke. HF solidified at room temperature, whereas LF remained liquid, reflecting distinct hydrocarbon chain distributions. The oils exhibited densities of 767.0 kg/m3 (HF) and 748.9 kg/m3 (LF), heating values of 46.39–46.80 MJ/kg, low water contents (<0.05 wt%), and minimal contamination (silicone ≤ 193 mg/kg; chlorine ≤ 110 mg/kg). Conclusions: Pyrolysis of surgical tray plastics produces decontaminated high-energy oils comparable in quality to fossil fuels, with a material recovery rate exceeding 75% and potential CO2 savings of ~ 2.9 ton per t plastic compared with incineration. This process provides a technically and ecologically viable pathway toward a scalable circular economy in healthcare.