15 November 2017
Treatment and recovery of waste
Sterilwave 100 is a compact solution for the decontamination of potentially hazardous medical waste,
complying with environment protection requirements and the strictest international regulations
Bertin Technologies, a CNIM Group subsidiary, is unveiling its new innovative Sterilwave 100 solution for the on‑site treatment of biomedical waste (potentially infectious waste and by-products) at the MEDICA Trade Fair in Dusseldorf, from November 13 to 16. No bigger than a household washing machine, the ultra-compact Sterilwave 100 unit offers the technology, high performance, traceability, efficiency and quality of equipment of the Sterilwave range. This latest model completes the existing range, comprising Sterilwave 440 and Sterilwave 250, to meet the needs of healthcare clinics, hospitals, laboratories and other establishments producing medical waste.
New generation hospital waste treatment system
Developed by Bertin, the Sterilwave range uses an alternative technology contrasting with conventional processes of incineration, autoclaving and landfilling. The automated process is carried out in a single tank, following four steps:
- Loading of all types of unsorted medical waste (including solid, soft, sharp-edged, pointed, glass, plastic, bandage and dialysis items),
- Grinding, which renders the waste unrecognizable,
- Heating and sterilization by microwave treatment without any pressure increase,
- Unloading of the inert waste with complete traceability.
In just 30 minutes, the medical waste to be disposed of is transformed into a compact, dry, inert material, with a weight reduction of 25% and a volume reduction of 80%. As the system achieves a level of bacterial inactivation exceeding 8log10* (in compliance with the strictest international standards), the waste can then be mixed with household waste and disposed of via existing waste treatment channels, therefore generating savings both technical and logistics. This innovative solution also massively reduces risks of contamination.
Each patient generates between 0.2 and 2 kilos of hospital waste a day and that entails contamination risks,” points out Boguslaw Lorecki, Sterilwave Business Manager at Bertin Technologies. “Most hospitals rely on external treatment solutions, even though the WHO recommends that medical waste should be treated as close as possible to the location where it is produced. With the three models in the Sterilwave range, all medical waste producers can benefit from an efficient, safe solution that is easy to use, environmentally friendly and suitable for their requirements on any scale.
The Sterilwave process and its results have been tested by the Pasteur Institute and IRM (Institut de Recherche en Microbiologie) under the supervision of the French Health and Environment Ministries. The Sterilwave system has been certified as complying with French standard NF X30-503, recognized as one of the strictest in the world. It also complies with international regulatory standards regarding the required efficacy of disinfection (STAATT recommendations).
Internationally renowned French technology
Designed and produced in France and certified as ISO 9001:2008 compliant, the Sterilwave technology has already attracted international interest. Notably, Eurotec Environmental Limited, a Bertin partner, has installed two Sterilwave 440 units at Barts Health NHS Trust, Whipps Cross University Hospital in London, allowing the hospital to treat between 2 and 2.5 metric tons of medical waste per day.
After being treated by Sterilwave, the waste is classified as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) or solid recovered fuel (SRF). It can then be used as fuel for furnaces on industrial sites or waste-to-energy plants. This offering is a logical extension to the business activities of the CNIM Group, European leader in energy-from-waste recovery.
Eurotec Environmental Ltd, specifier of Sterilwave, was presented with the 2017 Product Innovation Award by IHEEM (Institute of Healthcare Engineering & Estate Management) at a ceremony organized by Healthcare Estates in Manchester, on 10th October 2017. Eurotec Environmental’s Sterilwave Plant at Barts Health NHS Trust, Whipps Cross Hospital is the first of its kind in the UK and is widely regarded as the most innovative on-site medical waste treatment service seen by the NHS in over 20 years. Thanks to this Sterilwave installation, Eurotec Environmental also won a Green Apple Environment Award 2017 (presented at the Palace of Westminster, in London, on November 6th, 2017). This prize is awarded for environmental best practices all over the world.
The whole Sterilwave range is being presented on the Bertin Technologies booth at the MEDICA 2017 international trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany, from November 13 to 16: Hall 17, stand D24.
* Corresponding to a 99.999999999% reduction in the number of bacteria in the initial sample.