Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC)’s Post

If you're attending the[PACK]out® this year, be sure to check out the industry power hour where Alison Bryant, Communications Director of HPRC, will be speaking about HPRC's Guiding Principles on Advanced Recycling. We hope to see you there!

HPRC is thrilled to welcome Olympus Corporation, a leading manufacturer of optical and digital precision technology, as a new member. Olympus provides versatile medical devices including endoscopes, endotherapy, and surgical devices as well as products and solutions for lung, colorectal, and stomach cancer. “Olympus has an established history of bringing innovation to the healthcare industry and has been a pioneer in MedTech products and services,” said Peylina Chu, Executive Director of HPRC. “We look forward to them bringing that innovative spirit to HPRC as they support our work to overcome barriers and identify solutions for healthcare plastic recycling.” Welcome, Olympus! #HPRC #PlasticsRecycling

Happy Earth Day! 🌎 🌱 This year's theme is "Planet Vs. Plastic" - recognizing the need to stakeholders to work collaboratively to combat plastic pollution and protect our health. At HPRC, we understand how necessary collaboration is, especially in addressing healthcare plastic waste. Through our work, we're bringing the right stakeholders to the table to most effectively develop solutions to the ever-growing and complex issue of healthcare plastics recycling. Check out our resources to learn more about how your organization can take action to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare plastics: https://lnkd.in/giqFYMja #PlanetVsPlastics #EarthDay #HPRC

Check out this pilot project involving SABIC and the dialysis department of Jessa Hospital in the Limburg region of Flanders, Belgium seeking to put medical plastic waste on a circular path. The feedstock derived from waste plastics produces polymers on a par with virgin materials — a crucial requirement in strictly regulated medical applications — Sabic is able to create a certified circular TruCircle polymer portfolio for the healthcare market. Learn more about the project below: https://lnkd.in/gK-nGTw6 #HPRC #AdvancedRecycling #PlasticsRecycling

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Sharp HealthCare to our Healthcare Facility Advisory Board! “Sharp HealthCare will be a valued addition to our advisory board,” said Laura Kirkvold, steward of the Healthcare Facility Advisory Board. “The organization has had been deeply committed to sustainability for decades and has made great efforts to establish and progress against ambitious sustainability goals for waste management, responsible procurement, and energy efficiency. We look forward to their contributions in our Advisory Board” In their role on the Healthcare Facility Advisory Board, Sharp will help provide additional perspective into hospital barriers to recycling, share advice to support HPRC’s mission and vision, offer insights on how HPRC can better enable plastics recycling, and identify high value needs and opportunities for action. Welcome, Sharp! Continue reading below:

Recycling options are limited for personal medical devices like inhalers and EpiPens, resulting in tons of plastic waste. This recently published article discusses this challenge in greater detail and shares a few of the solutions being explored from recycling to package design: https://lnkd.in/gPh6j6D6

Happy Global Recycling Day! Since 2010, HPRC has been engaging in projects and research to find solutions for effectively recycling healthcare plastics. One of our latest publications is our Guiding Principles on Advanced Recycling. From our recent advanced recycling work supplemented with our years of learnings since 2010, HPRC firmly asserts that advanced recycling technologies offer a viable solution for recycling challenging healthcare plastics that would otherwise be destined for landfills or incineration. This document defines HPRC’s guiding principles regarding the use of advanced recycling technologies for healthcare plastics. These principles align with the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Chemical Recycling Implementation Principles and encompass topics. This guidance document compliments other HPRC work, including HPRC’s Design Guidance to enhance recyclability. Learn more and read the detailed guiding principles here: https://lnkd.in/dDdSbzwJ

Congratulations to Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals for becoming the first in the nation to achieve the Joint Commission's Sustainable Health Certification! The certification provides a framework to help healthcare organizations begin, continue, or expand their decarbonization efforts. These hospitals have met rigorous standards and elements of performance to establish structure, rigor, and accountability to accelerate healthcare’s growing sustainability efforts. Continue reading below:

In 2023, Deaconess Health System Midtown Hospital, partnered with Evansville Packaging Supply, a local collection and sortation partner, advanced recycler Nexus Circular, and clinical product manufacturer Berry Global, Inc. to pilot a healthcare plastics recycling program to reduce incinerated and landfilled plastic wastes. The successes of their efforts serve as an important example to other healthcare facilities seeking to mitigate environmental impacts and make measured progress in plastic waste reduction. This case study demonstrates the power of collaboration in addressing pressing healthcare industry environmental challenges. Download the full case study below: #HPRC #Recycling #HealthcarePlasticsRecycling

Celebrate Earth Month by joining in on the One Healthcare Ecochallenge! Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and PeaceHealth have collaborated with Ecochallenge. org to create an exciting initiative for healthcare employees—the One Healthcare Ecochallenge. Using the Ecochallenge platform, you can select actions to take with the goal of forming healthy and sustainable habits. By logging progress throughout the challenge, you'll will see your individual and team impacts add up on the platform. Visit https://lnkd.in/d9fubHYg to create your team and get started!