HEALTHCARE | INNOVATION
suggest that other plastics including PET, PP and PE could also be reused in the manufacturing supply chain after being safely disinfected and processed. These polymers are widely used in medical devices, such as those made by BD, it said. The partner company in the study was Envetec Sustainable Technologies, based in Ireland. Its patented Generations process enables facilities to disinfect and shred biohazardous plastic waste at the point of generation, producing clean polymer flake suitable for recycling into new products. In the pilot study, unused BD BBL prepared
plated media for sample testing were processed as post-industrial material. The plates and their contents were shredded, separated, chemically disinfected, and transformed into recycled, clean polymer flakes. These flakes were extruded into polystyrene pellets and moulded into new Petri dish prototypes. Material property testing and moulding feasibility were successfully completed, said BD.
Proof of concept “This pilot marks the first step in a broader effort to demonstrate the feasibility of recovering and recycling multiple types of plastic products across healthcare supply chains,” said Malcolm Bell, CEO of Envetec. “By creating a proof of concept for a pathway that allows regulated plastics to be safely treated and returned to productive use, we are opening the door to sustainable solutions that can help the industry avoid landfill and keep valuable materials in circulation.”
Envetec and BD said they see clear opportunities
to expand the pilot, cut reliance on virgin plastic, and keep high-value polymers in circulation.
“Single-use devices made of high-quality plastics play a critical role in modern healthcare due to safety, ease of use and scalability, but we recognise the long-term impact that these materi- als can have on the environment,” said Nikos Pavlidis, worldwide president, Diagnostic Solutions at BD. “This pilot, conducted by BD’s Sustainable Medical Technologies Institute, represents an important step toward enabling circular economy solutions for other high-volume healthcare con- sumables made from commonly used plastics, such as blood collection tubes, syringes and packaging.” Envetec’s Generations technology is currently being deployed in biopharma and life science facilities, hospitals, and food and beverage sectors across the US and Europe. In collaboration with customers and recycling partners, Envetec is developing sustainable circular pathways for treated laboratory plastics. This process involves converting clean flake into recycled pellets and, where possible, into new plastic products.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.systemiq.earth �
https://vinylplushealthcare.eu �
www.terra.coop/fr �
www.ivv.fraunhofer.de �
www.aimplas.net �
www.hprc.org �
www.ukbonn.de �
www.tomra.com �
https://zuyderland.nl �
https://artivion.com �
www.bd.com �
https://envetec.com
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