Upgrading Puerto Rico's waste disposal

Pioneering waste management in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a vibrant island full of rich culture and ecological diversity spanning just over 9,000 km², faces many unique environmental challenges due to its limited geography. As part of the Caribbean archipelago with delicate ecosystems, sustainable waste management particularly for biomedical and regulated waste, has become increasingly critical as landfill space diminishes across the island.

 

 

A new incinerator for Ponce, Puerto Rico

Until now, Puerto Rico has lacked specialised, high-technology incineration solutions for regulated waste. Most biomedical and pharmaceutical waste has been exported off-island or managed through less advanced methods such as landfill which is creating significant economic, logistical, and environmental burdens for local healthcare facilities, laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies.

Anatomical Corp. is addressing this challenge by welcoming Puerto Rico’s first specialised biomedical waste management facility, the Addfield C200 incinerator, after speaking with Eduardo, our International Sales Expert for LATAM and LATAC areas. Eduardo and Anatomical Corp. landed on the C200 clinical waste incinerator after thorough discussion about their disposal needs.

Positioned in Ponce, Puerto Rico’s southern industrial zone, the new facility benefits from direct access to major highways, the Ponce industrial landfill, and the Port of Ponce. This location maximises operational efficiency while serving the island’s second-largest city and surrounding regions.

Addfield’s advanced technology for protecting the environment

The Addfield C200 installation is part of a $1.8 million investment in cutting edge waste management technology, that features:

  • The C2OO is designed to process low density and high energy clinical waste at a burn rate of up to 200kg per hour.
  • Large, 4.3m3 cylindrical primary chamber with front loading and deashing door.
  • State of the art scrubber system that ensures complete compliance with Puerto Rico’s emission standards.
  • Automated loading mechanism which ensures operator safety by minimizing exposure to hazardous materials while improving operational efficiency.
  • Achieving over 97% waste volume reduction, dramatically decreasing landfill requirements and environmental impact.

A word from Anatomical Corp

“For us, this represents not only the beginning of operations in Puerto Rico but also the opportunity to position the island as a model for regulated waste management across the Caribbean & US,” states an Anatomical Corp. representative. “We are proud to be pioneers in bringing this technology to our region and to contribute to both environmental responsibility and public health.”

 

Looking towards the future

With construction commencing in mid-2025 and operations scheduled to begin in early 2026, Anatomical Corp. plans to offer services including biomedical waste processing, pharmaceutical waste disposal, airport/seaport international waste management, and specialised destruction services for law enforcement agencies.

The facility’s Caribbean location positions Puerto Rico as a potential logistics hub for controlled substance disposal, international port waste, and pharmaceutical regulated waste, all aligning perfectly with the growing “zero waste to landfill” initiatives becoming prioritised globally.

By implementing this advanced technology, Anatomical Corp. is not only solving Puerto Rico’s immediate waste management challenges but establishing a sustainable solution that can be expanded to serve additional markets throughout the Caribbean and continental United States.