From syringes and IV bags to prosthetics and sterile packaging, plastics offer versatility, sterility, and cost-effectiveness, making them essential in various medical applications. However, the environmental impact of plastic waste in healthcare is significant. U.S. healthcare facilities generate around 14,000 tons of waste daily, with 20-25% attributed to plastic products and packaging.
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The report Circularity for Healthcare Plastics from the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council explains this niche’s leading drivers, challenges, and opportunities.
The incorporation of recycled material in healthcare plastics is held back by some challenges that need to be addressed.
Despite these challenges, significant opportunities exist for integrating recycled content into healthcare plastics. Non-sterile healthcare applications, such as secondary and tertiary packaging and non-sterile products, present promising avenues. For example, sharps disposal bins, which must meet certain storage and transportation requirements but do not need to be sterile, pose fewer technical challenges for incorporating recycled resins.
Additionally, improving the recycling infrastructure is another critical opportunity. China’s ban on plastic scrap imports has spurred investments in domestic recycling infrastructure. Initiatives like the RECOVER Act, which allocates federal funds to improve recycling infrastructure, aim to overcome barriers related to the availability, quality, and cost of recycled resins. These improvements are essential for revitalizing domestic collection and processing capabilities.
Moreover, new recycling technologies are also emerging. Advanced methods, such as chemical recycling, can handle degraded, complex, or contaminated plastics, producing high-quality recycled resins. These technologies can recycle all plastic waste without compromising material properties, enabling new opportunities in medical devices and healthcare applications.
You can read the complete report from the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council HERE.
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