Similar to the COVID-19 outbreak, MPOX has travelled across continents, infecting many countries and causing a strain on the hospitals and healthcare system, and as of late 2024, has now reach the United Kingdom, with hundreds of confirmed cases. In DRC, many young children have contracted the disease and doctors & nurses are working tirelessly to see to every patient. Vaccines have been donated from many disease control foundations. One thing the healthcare system shouldn’t have to worry about is the medical waste created that could potentially spread the disease to more people.

The safest and most effective way to dispose of medical waste, and ensure that no germs will be spread is through incineration. Addfield’s medical waste incinerator range, particularly the MP machines, ensure that complete incineration has taken place and eliminates any disease that gloves, syringes or masks may have carried.

We have been helping tackle global problems just like this for many years and worked with many different international aid agencies to provide the most sustainable incineration technology to developing countries, just like the MP200 medical pathological waste incinerators that we are producing for the DRC specifically to help deal with this growing problem.

As we face future health threats, sustainable medical waste disposal will be a crucial part of global healthcare. By using efficient technologies like Addfield’s MP200, countries can better protect their populations and prevent diseases from spreading further. If you want to learn more about our medical incinerator range, please get in touch today or visit: https://addfield.com/machine-categories/medical-incinerators/

In August this year, we formally published our commitment to global sustainability report and confirmed our membership of the United Nations Global Compact which you can read now by clicking here.

In this report, we recognise the importance of operating from a sustainable perspective and commit to abiding by the key principles of maintaining, human rights, safe labour practices, a clean environment and wiping out corruption.

Following completion, we decided to just take a moment and review what impact some of these projects have had and who else we have worked with during this time.

Not counting government agencies and NGO’s we can clearly identify 12 international aid agencies that we have worked with within the United Nations. What makes this list really exciting is that the majority of these we have worked with on multiple projects across many countries and continents.

Currently supporting:

• United Nations Development Programme – UNDP
• United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF
• World Food Programme – WFP
• World Health Organisation – WHO
• World Bank
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – UNHCR
• United Nations Mine Action Service – UNMAS
• United Nations Office for Project Services – UNOPS
• Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF
• Medical Research Council – MRC
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH – GIZ
• Red Cross
• United States Agency for International Development – US Aid

Every installation and machine is special to us, each pet crematorium is a new business starting and every agricultural machine is a farmer taking more control of their biosecurity. However, when it comes to the work we complete for Aid Agencies each installation means so much more as we have seen for ourselves the transformation that these can support.

We have now installed hundreds of machines across dozens of countries, the impact of which is immeasurable. Each installation highlights a new health centre, clinic or hospital opening up and delivering life-saving services to another community. Every machine symbolises the safe disposal of hazardous waste that previously could have been discarded into the community or left to rot in huge heaps. It is not an exaggeration to state that lives have been transformed by the longevity of our machines as many have outlived the initially planned projects and are continuing to support the communities for years in the future, being supported and serviced by local engineers that our team proudly trained during the initial commissioning and also our lifetime remote support to keep these machines incinerating safely and environmentally.

If you would like to learn about the impact that our medical waste incinerators have had across many developing countries on behalf of many of the world’s largest International Aid Agencies we have a few case studies that you may find interesting:

• MP500 Medical Waste Incinerator for Médecins Sans Frontières in Bangladesh
• 15 MP100 Medical Incinerators for UNICEF in Mauritania
• MP200 Medical Incinerator for USAID and WFP in the Ivory Coast
• MP100 Medical Incinerator for Médecins Sans Frontières in Guinea Conakry
• MP100 HIV Vaccine Program for MRC in Uganda and the Gambia

Across many developing countries we have found that options for disposing of hazardous medical waste has in the past been rather limited. In the worst situations, we have discovered hospital waste including medicines and syringes simply discarded on open ground, often shared with grazing animals or burned in open fire pits. When incinerators have been present, we often find a version of the very accessible De Montfort Medical Waste Incinerator onsite which is making a valiant effort. However, for a genuinely safe, environmental and reliable solution we have regularly provided our MP range of incinerators to replace all of these options to deliver a much more sustainable solution.

For years we have worked with international aid agencies including, MSF, UNICEF, WHO, NATO and others to supply a range of reliable medical incinerators. In doing so we have helped to develop many sustainable infrastructures for the future.

The De Montfort Medical Waste Incinerator is a fantastic solution for developing regions to establish a basic disposal system that is more controlled the open dumping or burning. However, it is still not the ideal solution. We have been asked many times to break down the difference between a De Montfort incinerator Mark 9 and the most widely selected Addfield medical solution the MP.

As such let us investigate the two and compare the similarities and differences between them. This list is in no way exhaustive and we would advise you to complete your own research into which solution is the right one for your requirements. However, we have tried to be unbiased in our comparison so that you can comfortably use this as part of your research.

What is the difference between a De Montfort Incinerator and an Addfield MP?

The De Montfort Medical Waste Incinerator

Designed by Professor D.J. Picken a De Montfort professor in 1996 and funded by the DeMontfort University and British Government. A Do-It-Yourself approach to incineration created to meet the need for cheap but effective incinerators that are easy to build in developing countries. It is estimated that there are over 1000 DeMontfort Incinerators across Africa, Asia and East Europe. Developed to reduce waste dressings, plastics and organic matter to ash as well as sterilising hypodermic needles.

The Addfield MP Medical Incinerator Range

The MP range was created to offer the best solution to safely destroy medical waste and help international aid agencies fight deadly diseases. Hundreds of MP machines are in operation globally. Predominantly installed in developing countries, including across Africa, Pakistan and Asia.

The MP range is built to offer a safe and environmentally sustainable solution for disposing of all forms of hazardous, pharmaceutical and medical waste in hospitals, laboratories and aid agencies worldwide.

What are your options?

Incinerator Range

De Montfort Medical Incinerators

• 3 models available – Mark 7, Mark 8a and Mark 9.
• Average lifespan of 6 months to 5 years.
• 12-50kg/h capacity.
• Cheap to produce, easy to manufacture onsite.
• Suitable for hospitals up to 300 beds max.

Addfield MP Range

• 5 options in the range MP100 – MP500.
• Average Lifespan up to 20 years.
• 50kg/h capacity.
• Construction in the UK to order.
• Suitable for hospitals up to 1000 beds max.

Construction Comparisons

The biggest differences between the two ranges clearly comes down to the construction so let’s consider the two approaches:

De Montfort

• Built by hand and with materials locally sourced or pre-built at a nearby manufacturing base.
• Consists of a basic primary and secondary chamber for gas combustion manually operated.
• Two doors, one to light the fire, remove ash and let in the air with a second top-loading door above.
• Assembled by a qualified builder requiring correct bricklaying and steel fabrication skills for construction.
• Requires knowledgeable contractor sourcing the correct materials, such as proper refractory bricks, mortar and mild steel that can withstand temperatures up to 1000 degrees celsius.
• Built to be airtight to prevent smoke and gases from escaping.
• Cannot be built close to occupied buildings or hospital wards.
• Takes roughly between 5 hours and 6 days to build onsite dependant on resources and incinerator size.

Addfield MP Range

• Built in Great Britain by qualified engineers.
• Consists of optimised primary and secondary chambers controlled by automated systems.
• A secondary chamber is built to purposefully remove all smoke and odours.
• Uses high-grade materials throughout including heavily insulated refractory lining and top quality pre-fabricated robust mild steel.
• Made to order to build the machine to the exact customer specifications.
• Uses Premium steel fabrication, multi-layered refractory and underfloor ‘hot hearth’ heating to ensure all waste is incinerated at safe temperatures.
• Protected from the elements by a specially designed two-pack, high-grade paint system.
• Can be situated close to buildings and hospital wards.
• Automatic temperature controlled on-off ignition burners complete with internal combustion air fans.
• Fully insulated with a tight seal fibre insulation for thermal efficiency.
• Carefully delivered to site with little assembly and with qualified engineers available to ensure the machine is ready to use and working perfectly.

Operation Comparisons

Both solutions aim to dispose of waste to the best of their abilities through incineration. However, it is through the daily practical operation that some of the greatest differences can be found.

De Montfort

• A fire is lit in the primary chamber using dry non-toxic materials (firewood, coconut shells) before adding small amounts of fuel (kerosene/diesel) at regular intervals to start the burn cycle and get it to optimal loading temperature.
• Takes boxes of separated waste (sharps) alongside small bagged waste (red & yellow) at intervals of 8-10 minutes to ensure complete burn.
• Temperature fluctuates between 600-900 degrees C.
• Cannot burn wet waste (fluid bags, vials, broken thermometers).
• Burning must be manually timed and maintained throughout the cycle to avoid producing toxic emissions.
• Primary chamber must be kept full in order to keep a steady temperature.
• Fully hands on process which requires checking the flames by eye, feeding waste every ten minutes, poking out blockages to keep the flame going.
• Large flames can burst from the chamber when the door is opened to load as well as harmful gases leaking from the air holes throughout so requires utmost safety to operate.
• Can only be operated during select times throughout the day due to pollution risks.
• Requiring continuous maintenance, often prone to corrosion and needing daily checks for outer cracks and weather damage.

Addfield MP Range

• Externally controlled with touch screen panel and electrically powered automated fans and burners for easy operation and monitoring.
• One manual opening, securely locking front-facing door with a wide opening for loading and de-ashing.
• Fully automated pre-heat, burn and cool-down cycles with adaptable cycle times dependant on waste type and load size.
• Maintains a consistent temperature of 850ºC in the primary chamber and 1100ºC in the secondary chamber.
• Can burn wet waste due to hot hearth underfloor heating.
• Easy loading with help of an optional hydraulic lift table for large amounts of heavy waste.
• Can be safely loaded multiple times during the burn cycle.
• Runs on a fully integrated diesel or petrol fuel system that feeds the burners.
• Easy to maintain with annual servicing.

Pros and Cons Comparisons

Finally let us just take a moment and review the general pros and cons of each range when it comes to providing clean, safe and environmentally sustainable medical waste disposal.

DeMontfort

● Pros:

• Cheap to build.
• Uses little fuel to burn.
• Can be custom built in almost any location.
• Regular modifications are released to improve on overall function, burn rate and safety.
• University tests and results on the incinerator are free to access on their website.
• Designed with developing countries in mind.

● Cons:

• Requires specialist knowledge to build to the right specifications.
• Requires access to multiple specialist materials and tools to build.
• If built incorrectly, it can cause faults that reduce the lifespan of the incinerator.
• Can be unsafe to operate even with the right protective equipment.
• Poor emissions control releasing smoke and odours make it unsafe for the environment and narrows down possibilities for site placements.
• Has a small load capacity and burn rate.
• Short lifespan of only 5 years max.
• Can only be operated at certain times of the day due to pollution emissions.

Addfield MP Range

● Pros:

• Very high standards for, build, performance and ongoing support.
• No smoke or odours and easily contained makes it safer for the environment.
• Up to 20 years life span.
• Custom built to order to fit the needs of the customer.
• Easy to use and safer to operate.
• Comes assembled.
• Meets incineration requirements by most governing bodies.
• Can be operated at any time of the day.

● Cons:

• Higher costs involved for purchasing, delivery and commission.
• Requires expert maintenance once a year.

As you can see the two ranges of machines are very different to each other. They are both designed to dispose of waste which they both do to an extent. At Addfield we would always recommend the MP range of any of the De Montfort Medical waste incinerators as from experience these are the machines that we have been replacing. Where nothing better is available the De Montfort is a sound addition for the short term however we believe that only an MP will deliver clean, reliable and safe results.

If you would like to learn more about our Medical Incinerators you can review the range here. https://addfield.com/machine-categories/medical-incinerators/

If you would like to learn more about some of our installations you can read our case studies here – https://addfield.com/case-studies/

If you would like to learn more about different types of medical waste we have published several articles which you can find here. – https://addfield.com/blog/

To learn more about the De Montfort Medical Incinerator you can visit their website here – https://mw-incinerator.info/ and here – https://www.engineeringforchange.org/solutions/product/de-montfort-medical-waste-incinerator/

At Addfield we are recognised around the world for our expertise and quality in providing reliable solutions for disposing of hazardous medical waste safely. We work side by side with International Aid Agencies, Government bodies and even the NHS in England. Providing a range of machines purpose-built solutions exactly based around the needs of our customer and the types of waste being treated.

All of our medical machines are more than fit for purpose however for some types of waste an MP machine is your best choice and for others, it would be one from our C range. To help you understand some of the key differences and discover what type of medical incinerator is your best option our Operations Director Derek Carr has helped us to put this a little clearer for you.

The C Range of Incinerators.

To begin with the C100 we currently have two machines in the C range the C100 and the C200. In this instance, the ‘100’ and ‘200’ refers to the burn rate of the machine. This means that the C100 will be able to manage up to 100 kilograms an hour.

One of the first things that you will notice about the C range is that that they are much larger when placed beside an MP machine. This is partly because the C machines are specifically designed for high volumes of plastic. As it has a bigger chamber, this allows for lower density, higher energy waste to be put into the chamber. Because this is higher energy waste, we do not need so much energy from underneath the floor, as it is already a fuel. At the front, we have a large opening door. As standard, this will be a manual loading and deashing machine. However, there are other variants available where you can incorporate bin tippers and ram loaders that can be added to the system for advanced automatic operation.

You will find four burners on the C range each is controllable from the control panel and you will find two down each side of the chamber directing the heat right into the heart of the waste.

Because the C range is designed for more general medical waste which may contain high levels of plastic it needs to have a much larger loading chamber the C100 has a volume of 3 cubic metres and the C200 has a chamber which is 4.3 metres cubed which is extremely spacious inside. The reason that the C machines are rounded is that this helps to eliminate any cold spots inside as there are no corners and this encourages a very active circulation of energy inside the chamber. Being front-loading this also prevents overloading to ensure you are able to achieve optimal results from every operation, this also makes the machine very ergonomic to operate.

The MP Range of Incinerators.

The MP (Medical/Pathological) range for machines is available in MP100, MP200, MP300, MP400 and MP500. The MP range has been designed differently to the C range to operate with a Hot Hearth which delivers underfloor heating, this is because this is for higher moisture pathological waste, it has three burners and also three chambers. Where the C machines have one primary chamber and one secondary/after chamber the MP also has a third underfloor Hot Hearth chamber that pushes the heat up which is ideal for pathological waste.

Across the MP range, the numeral relates to the amount of waste that can be treated in a day. You will find that it starts with the MP100 having a chamber volume of 0.4 meters cubed and then you can go up to an mp500 that would be 1.13 meter cubed chamber so you’ll find the sizes don’t change too dramatically as they do on the C range.

The MP also has a front opening door and loading and it can also have the options of having automatic loaders but this only becomes applicable when it’s the MP500. The range is designed to be a perfect solution for a smaller hospital or a clinic where you can open the door, and insert your waste inside the chamber and it will carry on with its cycle uninterrupted. The MP come in more of a rectangular box format. This makes it incredibly easy to install and commission. By the time it gets to your client, you just add your chimney on top making on-site installation far simpler. Where with the C100 because it is a much larger machine it is delivered in components, which you have to connect on-site, adding the after chamber and then the chimney stacks. As there is a greater amount of concrete on the C range there will be a drying out schedule, whereas with the MP because it’s mainly brick getting it installed and operational can be completed much quicker typically within one to two days.

The MP machines similar to the C have viewing ports on the front loading doors allowing you to see what’s happening inside the chamber during the process.

All of the Addfield machines have a touchscreen operation and they have data logging as standard so this allows you to look at the performance of the machine and how it’s reacting with the type of waste that’s inside to make sure that it is burning successfully.

What type of medical incinerator is right for me?

The key things to remember is the C100 is designed more for plastic waste which is low density and high energy. It has a large chamber inside whereas the MP machine is designed for more low energy high moisture pathological waste so it has got a smaller chamber where there is heat-driven underneath the floor and above. The C100 has air distributed throughout because it is more high energy waste, it doesn’t need to have a cooling effect. This encourages a faster burn. Both of the machines can have additional filtration systems which include Venturi scrubber systems if you do have any further questions or you would like to come to the factory and view the machines yourself just contact us on +44 01543 571280 or email sales@addfield.com.

To see the full range of medical incinerators available to buy click here.

To learn more about the Addfield range of medical incinerators Click Here

As millions of vaccines have already been administered across the UK, Europe, America, Russia and more putting additional strains on the medical infrastructures. In the coming weeks, millions of coronavirus vaccines are due to be delivered to developing countries which in many instances sadly do not have such a robust and reliable method of used vaccine disposal.

For years, Addfield has worked with international health organizations to bring biosecure incineration methods of medical waste and vaccine disposal. As millions of vaccines create used needles, syringes and vials, this waste cannot be left unattended. Unsuitable for landfill the only safe method of disposal of these levels of waste is incineration, burning away chemicals and toxins, whilst safely sterilising the glass and metal remains ready for recycling.

The safe solution for Vaccine Disposal worldwide

We have already shipped dozens of medical incinerators worldwide to aid clinics and field hospitals in fighting the outbreaks. For years we have been supplying international aid agencies with a reliable source of vaccine disposal  and as such have become recognised for our track record supporting immunisation outbreaks of HIV, TB, Measles and Ebola. We are currently putting a growing number of machines into production to continue this great work across many more countries throughout 2021 and beyond.

As there is still no reliable end in site for Covid19. One thing we are certain of is having a tried and tested, safe solution to disposing medical waste that doesn’t negatively affect the environment is essential. We can only do our best to take the necessary measures required to minimise the environmental impact. Knowing the right tools for ensuring that the virus is destroyed is the first step. To find out more, click here to review our range of medical incinerators or contact our sales team sales@addfield.com.

To learn more about the Addfield range of medical incinerators Click Here

Learn more about our highly popular MP200 Click Here

As Covid19 continues to make headlines it is important to recognise the work that International Aid Agencies continue to complete. Working across developing countries, often with limited infrastructure to establish facilities to enable the safe disposal of medical waste.

For many years now Addfield has worked side by side with many of these organisations to combat viral outbreaks in developing regions. Delivering comprehensive solutions across varying scales treating endemics, and epidemics, some newsworthy whilst others were not so. This year however the word pandemic has been firmly on everyone’s lips and you cannot go five minutes without hearing about the Coronavirus once again.

It is important to not forget that Covid19 is not the only infectious disease that is fatally infectious. In this instance, AFG SA, based in Portugal and experts in the sale of medical equipment approached leading medical incineration manufacturers Addfield based in the UK. AFG through their Angola subsidiary Acail Angola asked Addfield to support them on a project for the Angolan Ministry of Health to supply and install 5 medical waste machines, to not only manage the additional waste created through combatting the Covid19 outbreak but also the continuing impact of Malaria and Tuberculosis across 5 field hospitals, located in Nzeto, Huila, Cunene, Dundo and Cabinda.

Coronavirus is currently not the biggest killer in Angola. Records indicate 333 confirmed deaths from the Coronavirus as of the middle of November 2020. Compared to Malaria which is responsible for an average of 12,000 deaths a year placing Angola in the top 10 countries most affected by the disease. As such in addition to supporting in the management of the Coronavirus, these incinerators will also prove essential pieces of equipment to combat other diseases for many years to come.

For this project, they selected 5 MP100 Medical/Pathological Incinerators. The MP range has proven itself to be a highly reliable solution for many aid agencies and NGO’s for treating waste in remote locations. Being both highly compact whilst also delivering quality and reliable medical waste disposal.

Beyond the visible impact of contagious diseases, there is also a hidden threat across Angola. Poverty is a growing problem, leading many families according to reports to subsist from scavenging in openly dumped garbage, which can include medical waste in some regions. This is another benefit of these machines as they will remove the hazardous waste and the health care risks from the ecosystem protecting the environment alongside its residents.

“A lot of investment is taking place across Angola to reduce these issues and reduce the numbers of deaths from avoidable diseases such as Malaria and Tuberculosis, which are blighting the country and we are proud to be able to play a small but important part in this as we know that our machines will stand the test of time and could be supporting these 5 communities for more than 20 years a fantastic improvement in the quality of life and a great legacy for us in the region.” Eduardo Sierra Torres, International Sales, Addfield Environmental Systems.

For years now Addfield has been recognised as the name to trust in medical waste disposal. Delivering machines to suit the smallest laboratory up to several thousand-bed hospitals to safely dispose of harmful waste. This project is yet another success for Addfield not only for helping to support international health but also through being yet another new country to add onto our roster of countries that have invested in one of our solutions. Following the success of this project, we are already in negotiations for future projects.

To learn more about the MP100 Medical Incinerator visit the product page by clicking here.

To learn more about the Addfield range of medical incinerators Click Here

During the past year alone we have supplied dozens of machines to be installed in countries across all continents. In most instances, the final stage of the project is when an engineer flies out from the UK to complete the installation and deliver training to the new users. As the airports closed, the docks stayed open and we continued to ship essential medical incinerators worldwide to help combat the crisis caused by the Coronavirus. As the machines began to arrive so did the need to commission them. But how without a trained engineer available? This became a problem desperate to be solved.

The solution was simple and resulted in http://www.addfieldinternational.com an online learning platform launching with a detailed program for commissioning and operating the MP range of medical incinerators.

“When the travel restrictions first took hold, we knew we had to act fast. As the demand for medical incinerators grew we had to ask ourselves how can we best support our customers anytime and anywhere, without being affected by travel restrictions?

Several of our team had completed various online courses in the past as part of their personal development and proposed we make our own. Putting together a team from across the company each with their own expertise, in just a couple of weeks we were able to launch it just in time for the arrival of several of our machines in Cambodia.” Ian Gilbert, Marketing Manager.

In recent years ‘Online training courses’ have taken the world by storm. Giving the ability for anyone to learn from the experts in virtually any subject. And although it is often best to have a qualified and experienced engineer on hand when installing an incinerator. Through the power of the internet, customers are able to put their new equipment straight to work helping to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus through safe disposal of contaminated waste.

Launching our online platform this June, just in time to support the installation and commissioning of several medical incinerators being setup in Cambodia for a leading international aid agency. The first course combines more than 23 video lessons combined with essential documents and guides covering everything from positioning the machine and connecting it all together through to the first operation and basic maintenance essentials.

To be successful in business it’s essential to view new challenges, as opportunities to innovate and the Coronavirus has been no different. Throughout the past three months, Addfield has implemented dozens of fresh approaches to working locally and internationally to ensure that essential medical equipment has been able to continue to ship worldwide. As orders for essential medical machines continue to arrive this fresh approach to commissioning has already proven a vital resource.

Just two years after their initial project in the Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire) was completed Addfield has once again been commissioned to deliver more essential solutions for medical waste disposal to laboratories and clinics across the county.

As part of a program of continuing investment in the environment across the Ivory Coast, overseen by National Food and Animal Health Laboratory (LANADA) on behalf of the Government and sponsored by the USAID and WFP international aid programs. This project has progressed across several stages for safely disposing of hazardous medical waste. The initial project was originally for one location it has since expanded to cover multiple locations across the region beginning with the historic city of Bingerville.

Beginning in 2018 when SOFIM SARL first contracted Addfield to deliver a solution. This first stage of the project was for the incorporation of two modern incinerators that would be capable of cleanly disposing of large quantities of hazardous waste created across their research and testing facilities.

These laboratories were creating a range of waste including animal and biomedical by-products as such they required two machines to treat this securely. Following extensive research, they selected the MP100 and the MP200, which met and exceeded the specifications required.

“Addfield is proud to grow its network in Ivory Coast; it’s another case of delivering a complete package solution to respond to our customers needs anywhere in Africa; in addition to supply a state of art machine we go the extra mile to provide direct onsite support, whether it is training, multilanguage communication assistance, spares parts etc.” Abraham Bah, Addfield Representative/Distributor for Africa.

The supply and installation of these Addfield incinerators were so well received that it made local news headlines. Originally installed in July 2018 after two years of continuous operation the customer has returned to Addfield satisfied in the performance of the machines, their reliability and the ongoing follow up support by Addfield technicians and representatives. The impact that these machines have had on the environment and local communities is immense and has been recognised. As a result of this, SOFIM SARL has once again selected Addfield to supply three more MP200 machines to update more health centres and laboratories across the country.

Before these machines were installed the waste had previously been disposed of by being burned openly in the backyard of the facility. An approach that resulted in many complaints from the local residents about the smoke and odours that were regularly being created. The impact of this air pollution had become a genuine cause for concern, potentially causing serious health problems for both the staff and the surrounding community.

Unfortunately, this is all too common a practice across many developing countries. Waste disposal has not been prioritised and as such open incineration is common for destroying medical waste. This is a far from ideal approach. When compared to controlled incineration, open fires run the very real risks of spreading diseases and hazards. From floating particles and pieces of debris potentially carrying bacteria beyond the grounds, to also releasing highly toxic chemicals into the atmosphere when burning plastics and other materials. In addition to the air pollution aspect, the volume of waste is not reduced greatly resulting in contagious waste still being disposed of at landfill or local dumps.

Although a controlled open fire can reach temperatures close to 900°C in places the temperatures can be considerably lower elsewhere, giving an uneven burn leaving some waste virtually untouched. An Addfield MP incinerator has multiple chambers which guarantees that all waste is safely destroyed and sterilised. The first chamber destroys the waste, burning it at temperatures up to 1000°C, and reducing it to safe sterile ash at only 3% of the initial volume, this is safe enough for landfill in most countries. After the primary chamber, the secondary chamber treats the waste gasses removing all odours, smoke and most importantly pathogens, furans and pollutants, firing at temperatures up to 1100°C along a 2 second retention time which ensures only clean gasses are returned back into the environment which is a massive improvement for the local community.

To learn more about the Addfield range of medical incinerators Click Here

Learn more about our highly popular MP200 Click Here

Officially Cambodia appears to be succeeding in its battle according to current data however were the coronavirus to take a hold in the country the need for reliable facilities, sanitation and waste management would be critical to their ability to combat the situation.

This lack of facilities is being addressed through a joint project between the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) working with UK based Addfield Environmental Systems Ltd alongside German based Fleischacker.

The program aimed at saving lives through improving the infrastructure across many hospitals across Cambodia is focussing on providing modern health care facilities, water sanitation and waste management. The locations that these machines are going to are undergoing great levels of regeneration as part of these greater projects.

Addfield have been selected to support the program through the provision of 8 MP100 Medical waste incinerators. Alongside providing full support for the installation and commissioning remotely and ongoing advice on the appropriate ways to develop and maintain waste management facilities.

“Medical waste is often overlooked when considering hospital facilities. We know from experience it is essential for a safe environment. It covers a massive spectrum of waste from gloves and face masks through to needles and syringes and bio-organic matter. Each piece of waste could potentially spread diseases if it is not taken care of properly. We have supplied machines to Cambodia in the past and have seen what a difference one of our machines can make for years to come.

It is a pleasure to be able to provide solutions that we know will deliver measurable improvements. For the people working at the hospitals and working with the machines daily through to the local community that won’t be subjected to hazardous waste, discarded needles and medical waste. We are all really looking forward to seeing these machines in operation.” Derek Carr, Operations Director Addfield Environmental Systems

Addfield has worked in partnerships with Fleischacker, who, in addition to having their head offices in Germany also operate additional offices throughout Asia, which has given them an unmistakable insight into the region and grassroots requirements.

Fleischaker chose to work with Addfield and specifically selected the MP100 machines based heavily upon the reputation that they have earned during the past ten years of working with international aid agencies, and the consistency and reliability of their incinerators. Having reviewed previous missions they found the machines to be easy to use and were the most suitable for their needs as they have been designed specifically to be used for all types of medical waste compared to many more general machines that they have been offered in the past from alternative providers.

As Addfield has already installed medical waste solutions in Cambodia they have seen for themselves how waste has previously been handled. At hospitals and health centres without appropriate facilities or resources, it was not uncommon to see medical waste mixed with general municipal waste, burned in open fire pits, and often spread on land. The impact that a dedicated facility can provide is genuinely remarkable.

Currently only a very small percentage of hospitals across Cambodia are capable of disposing of their waste securely through either on-site incineration or having access to a collection service to remove the segmented waste to a specialist thermal treatment plant.

The machines left Addfields facility in Staffordshire, England in late April and will be arriving in Cambodia in late May ready for installation and commissioning.

They are going to be installed in 8 hospitals including, Pursat Province Referral Hospital (PRH), Kampong Chhnang Province Referral Hospital (PRH), Kampong Cham Province Referral Hospital (PRH), Kampong Thom Province Referral Hospital (PRH), Baray Santouk Referral Hospital (RH), Kampong Speu Province Referral Hospital (PRH), Kep Province Referral Hospital (PRH), Oddor Meanchey Province Referral Hospital (PRH).

To learn more about the Addfield range of medical incinerators Click Here

Learn more about our highly popular MP200 Click Here

The speed of infection has been phenomenal, but could this have been halted through more effective waste management?

Implementing biosecurity measures to dispose of infected waste through incineration could have drastically slowed the spread. This does not appear to have been the case in this instance, as contaminated clothing was seen discarded on the side of the Wuhan market after the first disinfection. Allowing the virus to continue being accessible to pass between humans and animals.

Coronavirus joins the ranks of diseases including Ebola, Zika and in recent years the return of Measles that threaten global biosecurity. We are left to consider what controls are in place to reduce the spread.

Medical Waste must be disposed of carefully to ensure risks of cross contamination are removed from the environment. The way hazardous waste is currently handled varies, often depending upon population density, infrastructure and economic stability of a region.  Throughout most developed countries advanced medical incineration facilities are readily accessible and employed for such a purpose. Worryingly many developing countries and remote locations lack these basic facilities and are forced to dispose of their waste in insecure ways.

Medical incinerator manufacturer Addfield Environmental Systems has worked extensively with International Aid Agencies to replace the unsuitable approaches that have been employed in the past.

One method discovered was waste simply discarded on public ground. In several instances local livestock had been observed feeding around the infected waste increasing the dangers of the virus entering into the foodstream. In some regions this has even lead to a black market developing dealing in waste scavenged from dumped waste.  Discarded syringes have been resold back into unsuspecting hospitals and plastics have been recycled into many different items including toys and even drinking straws.

Second to dumping has been open firepits being created to burn hazardous waste. The dangers here apart from the environmental pollution can also spread the disease through particulate waste that has not achieved sufficient temperatures to neutralise the infection. As the fires are left unchecked incomplete incineration occurs and organic waste can often be disbursed and left to decompose into the local environment.

Both approaches can actually spread the infection across the local environment creating more harm than good.

Appropriate incineration is essential.

Through the installation of specifically designed incinerators such as the popular MP200 manufactured by Addfield, the difference these can make is staggering. A modern medical incinerator contains two chambers. The primary chamber where the waste is loaded is heated to temperatures between 600°C – 700°C to destroy the waste, reducing it to approximately 3% of its initial mass. This can be safely disposed of alongside most waste management guidelines, any remaining glass or metals from syringes etc, is left sterilised and able to be recycled safely.

Following the primary chamber smoke and gasses enters the secondary chamber to be heated to 1100°C completely neutralising particulates, dioxins, furans, smoke and odours. Releasing only cleaned gases back into the environment. This advanced level of cleaning allows medical incinerators to be installed close to residential areas safely.

Continuing investment is essential to preventing Endemics from becoming Pandemics. Having resources that can be rapidly deployed to exactly where they are needed can drastically reduce the risks of the virus contaminating the surrounding environment, helping halt the virus in its tracks. Incineration is the only way of sustainably destroying waste and neutralising the virus at a molecular level.

This article was first published in the March/April 2020 edition of Circular, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management magazine.

For more information on Circular please click here https://www.circularonline.co.uk/

For more information on the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management click here https://www.ciwm.co.uk/

To see the original published article please click here.

To learn more about the Addfield range of medical incinerators Click Here

Learn more about our highly popular MP200 Click Here