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Welcome to the Sterimelt Blog
Here at Sterimelt Technologies, we’re all about reshaping the future of recycling, one innovative machine at a time. Our blog is where we share the latest updates on sustainable practices, the future of plastic waste management, and exciting developments in green technology. From behind-the-scenes stories to industry insights and eco-friendly tips, our goal is to keep you informed and inspired as we work together toward a cleaner, greener planet.
Dive in and join us on this journey toward a more sustainable future!
The Hidden Lifecycle of Clinical Plastic Waste After It Leaves the Hospital
Once clinical plastic waste leaves a hospital, it doesn’t simply disappear. It enters a long, energy-intensive chain of transport and treatment where most plastic is incinerated by default, even when it isn’t hazardous. This hidden lifecycle drives avoidable cost, emissions, and lost recycling opportunities.
Jan 174 min read
What is The Hidden Energy Cost of Moving Waste
Split illustration comparing cold compaction and heat compaction of fast-food waste, showing rotary compacted waste reducing transport needs by around 40 percent on one side, and Massmelt heat-compacted logs achieving a sixfold transport efficiency improvement by reducing multiple collection trips.
Dec 21, 20255 min read
Paper vs Plastic Sustainability: Who is the Winner
Paper is often assumed to be the sustainable choice, but lifecycle data tells a very different story. When energy use, water consumption, transport emissions, and food preservation are measured holistically, plastic frequently outperforms paper. The real environmental failure isn’t the material itself, it’s what happens at end-of-life. By keeping plastics like polypropylene in circulation through proper recycling and reuse, sustainability shifts from material substitution to
Dec 21, 20254 min read
The Investment Funnel in Recycling: Turning Machines into Revenue
Servitization is transforming recycling machines into recurring revenue assets, removing CapEx barriers and aligning sustainability with strong financial returns
Dec 20, 20254 min read
What happens to fast food packaging waste at transport hubs?
Key Takeaways Transport hubs generate massive volumes of fast food packaging, but contamination and mixed materials mean most of it ends up in landfill or incineration, driving up costs and emissions. Traditional recycling systems fall short, limited space, food-soiled packaging, and composite materials make recovery difficult, with only clean items like bottles typically reused. The environmental toll is significant, from methane and CO₂ emissions to plastic leakage and wast
Dec 14, 20256 min read
What’s the environmental cost of incinerating medical waste?
Key Takeaways Incineration has one of the highest carbon footprints, releasing about 1,074 kg CO₂ per tonne of medical waste. Beyond carbon, it emits dioxins, furans, and heavy metals, which persist in ecosystems and harm health. The NHS generates 156,000 tonnes of clinical waste annually, much of which is still incinerated. Alternatives such as autoclaving, onsite plastic recycling, and composting cut both emissions and disposal costs. Moving toward a medical waste circular
Nov 6, 20255 min read
The Wow Factor: How an EPS Fish Box Recycling Turns the Size of a Matchbox
Key Takeaways Thermal densification technology like Sterimelt’s Styromelt reduces EPS volume by up to 95%, collapsing its 98% air content and transforming bulky fish boxes into dense, stackable blocks. The compacted EPS blocks retain full polymer integrity, allowing them to be fully recycled into new products such as plastic lumber, insulation panels, and packaging materials—closing the loop in the circular economy. On-site densification delivers major cost, space, and carbon
Nov 6, 20256 min read
The Future of Fast-Food Waste: Why Compactors Aren’t Enough
Key Takeaways Traditional compactors only reduce waste size, not its biological activity; they leave bacteria, odour, and pest issues unresolved, which makes them ineffective for fast food waste management. Modern waste systems sanitize as they compact, using heat, pressure, and sealed, oxygen-free environments to stabilise waste into dry, odourless, and pest-free “logs.” Sanitised waste drastically reduces hygiene risks and operating costs, allowing longer storage between co
Nov 6, 20256 min read
Hospitals Are Overpaying for Waste: The Hidden ROI in Recycling Sterile Wrap
Key Takeaways Hospitals often dispose of clean, recyclable polypropylene sterile wrap as hazardous waste, sending it for incineration at 4–6 times the cost of recycling. The blue polypropylene wrap used to cover sterilised surgical instruments is clean, strong, and 100% recyclable, yet it’s frequently burned instead of reused. Misclassified waste can cost hospitals up to £900 more per tonne, contributing to millions in hidden overspend and avoidable carbon emissions across th
Nov 6, 20256 min read
The Hidden Cost of Burning Plastic: Why Sterile Wrap Shouldn’t Go to Incineration
Most hospitals still burn sterile wrap after use, sending valuable plastic straight to incineration. But what if that blue wrap could become a reusable resource instead of waste? This blog explores why incineration is outdated, the environmental and financial costs it brings, and how new on-site recycling technologies like Sterimelt are turning hospital waste into circular value.
Nov 4, 20256 min read
Why Hospitals Must Rethink Incinerating Medical Waste
Incineration has one of the highest carbon footprints, releasing about 1,074 kg CO₂ per tonne of medical waste. Beyond carbon, it emits dioxins, furans, and heavy metals, which persist in ecosystems and harm health. The NHS generates 156,000 tonnes of clinical waste annually, much of which is still incinerated. Alternatives such as autoclaving, onsite plastic recycling, and composting cut both emissions and disposal costs. Moving toward a medical waste circular economy helps
Oct 20, 20255 min read
How Is Fast Food Packaging Managed at Airports and Stations?
At transport hubs, millions of fast food packages are discarded daily. This blog explores how airports and train stations are using recycling systems, AI sorting, and Sterimelt thermal recycling to turn food packaging waste into reusable resources instead of landfill.
Oct 19, 20256 min read
How Do We Reuse Waste Instead of Sending It to Landfill?
Discover how waste can be reused instead of landfilled through recycling, composting, and innovative technologies like Sterimelt’s thermal recycling system, turning plastic waste into valuable reusable materials.
Oct 19, 20255 min read
What Technologies Help Businesses Reduce Landfill Costs?
Large facilities face rising landfill costs due to higher tipping fees, bulky waste, and contamination risks. This blog explores five key technologies waste compaction, mechanical-biological treatment (MBT), waste-to-energy, AI-assisted sorting, and Sterimelt’s onsite thermal recycling that help reduce costs, shrink waste volume, and improve sustainability
Oct 19, 20255 min read
How Can plastic waste be turned into wood-like materials?
Key Takeaway Plastic waste can be transformed into durable wood-like materials through wood–plastic composites (WPCs) and plastic lumber....
Sep 21, 20254 min read
Hospital Plastic Waste Recycling: How Sterimelt Turns Blue Wrap into Reusable Products
Key Takeaways Hospitals generate large volumes of single-use polypropylene wrap that usually ends up in landfill or incineration. Sterimelt melts and sanitises this wrap onsite, compressing it into dense, reusable polypropylene blocks. These blocks can be reprocessed via injection moulding or extrusion to create products like trays, packaging, and plastic wood. Plastic wood made from Sterimelt polypropylene is durable, pest-resistant, and reduces reliance on timber. Blending
Sep 21, 20255 min read
What Recycling Solutions Work Best for Africa?
Africa’s plastic waste crisis is growing—but so are the solutions. This blog explores how low-cost recycling technologies like plastic-to-wood systems are transforming waste into opportunity. Discover how innovation, affordability, and local entrepreneurship are powering sustainable growth across the continent.
Sep 6, 20256 min read
Why can’t most plastic be recycled?
Only 9% of plastic is ever recycled. Contaminated and complex plastics like hospital blue wrap are often burned or dumped. This blog explores how advanced recycling and circular models can recover value from what’s currently wasted.
Sep 6, 20253 min read
How Plastic-to-Wood Recycling Can Drive Sustainable Growth in Africa
Africa is facing a mounting plastic waste crisis. As urban populations grow and consumer goods become more accessible, plastic packaging and single-use plastics are becoming increasingly prevalent in the market. Yet waste management systems in many cities remain underdeveloped. For example, in coastal West Africa, studies show that over 80% of plastic waste is mismanaged — meaning it is dumped, burned, or leaked into waterways — while only about 10% is recycled according to t
Sep 6, 20256 min read
How do businesses lose money on waste disposal?
From hidden landfill charges to wasted recyclables, waste disposal costs businesses more than they think. This blog breaks down the profit leaks and shows how smarter recycling solutions can turn waste into a resource.
Sep 6, 20255 min read
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