Ozone Treatment Cost for Waste Disposal: Everything to Know
When it comes to handling medical waste, there’s a clear incentive to trade in traditional methods like autoclaving and incineration for ozone treatment technology — with the main benefit being that ozone treatment produces no byproducts or greenhouse gases.
But while many healthcare providers can see that value, they often get caught up on another perceived sticking point: cost.
Ozone treatment for waste is an investment, but what’s often left out of the conversation is how the initial ozone treatment cost of waste disposal is actually offset by long-term savings.
Ozone Uses Less Energy Than Waste Disposal Alternatives
Ozone systems are designed to be energy-efficient at every step of the waste disposal process.
This starts with the fact that ozone treatment operates at or near ambient temperatures. Skipping over the extreme heat requirements of incineration and pressurized steam that autoclaving requires translates into significantly lower energy consumption. Autoclaving, in particular, uses an energy-intensive process to generate large amounts of steam. By avoiding this process entirely, ozone treatment eliminates a big cost driver in traditional medical waste treatment.
Ozone for waste treatment is produced on demand via electricity that passes through air or oxygen. The process uses minimal energy to split oxygen molecules into ozone—a much more efficient approach than powering boilers or combustion chambers.
The efficiency also ties into the speed of the overall treatment process. Thanks to ozone’s strong oxidative power, it can sterilize medical waste up to 50% faster than its counterparts. Shorter cycles mean lower energy consumption per waste disposal batch.
Ozone Minimizes Overall Waste
Ozone systems process medical waste without leaving behind ash, residue or secondary pollutants. This is in stark contrast to incineration, the most common form of medical waste treatment. For every ton of medical waste incinerated, up to 5-10% of that weight remains ash. Autoclaving, meanwhile, leaves behind wastewater from the system.
Ozone treatment uses an electric charge on O2 (oxygen) in order to create O3 (ozone), chemically altering the cell wall of the waste in order to sterilize it. This is designed not only to avoid adding to the volume of waste, but actually breaks it down into smaller, non-hazardous elements. Once processed, the waste is ground down into confetti, and it is now safe for disposal without the need for hazardous protocols.
From a transportation time and cost standpoint, the benefits are two-fold. By grinding down medical waste into smaller, non-toxic fragments, there’s a reduction in volume that reduces both the cost and frequency of waste transport and disposal. Further, because the ozone systems produce no harmful emissions, handling the waste becomes much more cost-effective, as you can bypass expensive steps involved in managing regulated medical waste.
With these variables in mind, ozone treatment for waste can reduce transportation time and costs up to 49%.
Ozone Treatment Requires Less Maintenance
Because incinerators and autoclaves rely on high heat and pressurized steam, there’s more wear and tear to system components. Handling these elements requires more frequent cleaning and repairs to chambers, exhaust systems, boilers, valves and more.
Based on the temperatures at which they operate, and because they don’t rely on steam, ozone systems help you avoid bills for costly repairs and frequent replacement parts. There’s little wear and tear on ozone generators and no need to replace high-pressure seals or heat-resistant materials.
Incinerators often require additional maintenance-intensive emission control systems, such as scrubbers and filters, to capture toxic byproducts like dioxins and particulates.
Ozone systems eliminate the need for complex exhaust or filtration equipment and their associated maintenance costs.
With their low-maintenance design, ozone systems reduce operational interruptions and associated labor expenses. They also tend to have a longer operational lifespan.
Ozone Treatment Can Support a Hospital’s ESG Goals
The U.S. healthcare industry has a profound impact on the environment, accounting for up to 5.2% of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions. It’s statistics like these, alongside regulatory developments and stakeholder encouragement, that have made hospitals increasingly prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
This is another area where the cost of ozone treatment for waste disposal feeds into long-term benefits. Here are a few characteristics of how ozone treatment supports each ESG goal.
Environmental Impact Benefits
- Eliminates Emissions: Ozone treatment generates no greenhouse gases or toxic byproducts like dioxins.
- Reduces Waste Volume: Less waste at the end of the process minimizes landfill dependency and disposal costs.
- Energy Efficiency: Ozone systems use significantly less energy and no water or steam, lowering the facility’s carbon footprint.
Social Responsibility Benefits
- Workplace Safety: The fully enclosed process reduces worker exposure to pathogens and sharp materials.
- Community Health: Without harmful emissions, ozone systems protect surrounding areas from air and soil contamination.
- Leadership in Sustainability: Hospitals demonstrate their dedication to environmental and social responsibility, further strengthening public trust.
Governance and Compliance
- Regulatory Compliance: Ozone treatment aligns with stricter environmental regulations on waste management, reducing risks of fines or penalties.
- Transparency: The measurable benefits, such as reduced waste and energy savings, enhance ESG reporting and demonstrate accountability.
- Ethical Practices: Hospitals adopting ozone technology showcase leadership in sustainable waste management, meeting investor and stakeholder expectations
Make an Investment in Ozone Treatment for Waste Disposal
Ozone treatment for medical waste is an investment with a big payoff. While supporting your ESG goals, the shift to this new method of waste disposal also helps you cut costs fast. You’ll experience immediate savings in energy consumption and disposal costs that will benefit your bottom line and make room for other sustainable investments in the future.
As a provider of ozone treatment technology for medical waste, WasteMedX provides you with an eco-friendly, cost-effective means of waste disposal. We’ll transition you away from traditional methods of waste disposal and help you start to see cost savings from a modernized system. Billing you on a per-pound and per-pickup basis, our services save you thousands of dollars annually over traditional waste disposal.
We’re excited for the chance to partner with you to support your sustainability goals and save you money. Contact us today for more information.
