In addition, the heat used in autoclaving is not hot enough to form PICs and other toxic compounds. Microwaving is another alternative to incineration. The process involves putting the waste into a grinder, moistening it and then microwaving it . Again, microwaving has no emissions and produces no a sh. A crucial factor in the fight against incinerators is reducing the amount of medical waste itself, specifically the enormous amount of plastics that are used.
Plastics are the cause of dioxins and other toxic poisons and, in many cases, are unnece ssary.
Once upon a time hospitals used metal bed pans that could be sterilized. It is possible for hospitals to use glass intravenous bottles instead of millions of plastic bags which are thrown away. Presently, impervious paper gowns are covered with a film of plastic while cloth gowns could just as easily be treated for fluid repellence. These are just a few examples of how hospitals have needlessly contributed to the medical waste disposal crisis. The increase in the use of plastics began in the 60's when it was cheaper to use disposable items than pay people to sterilize equipment.