HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Converting waste into chemicals for medical devices
A collaborative innovation project involving the University of Nottingham, which aims to create a portable facility that can convert waste into chemicals to be used to build medical devices, has been awarded €1.5 m as part of an international competition. The SPRIND Challenge ‘Circular Biomanufacturing’ is a three-year competition hosted by Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation. Over 50 groups from across the world entered, with eight selected for the first stage to develop novel bioprocessing techniques that will contribute to a circular economy. The MATERI-8 project will use bacteria to ‘eat’ waste and convert it into acrylic molecules that can then be mixed with other monomers to create polymers for use in additive manufacturing to create medical devices. The team plans building a bespoke containerised system to enable local utilisation of the technology, meaning countries suffering from a continuous stream of waste can benefit too.
Assistant
Professor Sam Bryan, from the University’s Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, said: “Securing funding as part of the SPRIND Challenge is an
incredibly exciting step for this project, as it’s giving us the opportunity to turn our research into reality, and make a real difference to countries swamped with waste, but without the facilities to deal with it.
“This next 12 months will be vital, as we focus on proving the process can work. From there we’d look to progress to the next stage of the competition, where we’d receive more funding to develop a continuous biomanufacturing system able to make products via additive manufacturing printing techniques.”
During the project’s first stage, the group will focus on getting the bacteria to ‘chew up’ material mixtures coming from different types of textiles, greenhouse cultivation by-products – such as contaminated paprika stems, and microplastics, identifying the optimum process for creating a platform chemical.
28 Health Estate Journal January 2024
Grundon’s inhaler recycling wins sustainability award
Grundon Waste Management’s new inhaler recycling service – which it says should deliver significant carbon savings for the NHS – has seen it win a Sustainability Award from the British Aerosol Manufacturers’ Association (BAMA). The judges said the service ‘really
addresses and solves an issue that hadn’t been tackled before’, adding: “There is a minimal amount of gas left in each pack, but its environmental impact is significant, especially given the millions of units used.” The judges also applauded the scheme’s ‘network of return points (pharmacies and hospitals)’, which simplify users dropping off empty inhalers as they collect new ones. Grundon says inhalers alone are
estimated to account for 4% of all NHS CO2
emissions, with approximately
73 million dispensed annually. Its scheme is mainly aimed at pressurised Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDI), where the predominant propellant is hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) 134a, with a global warming potential 1,430 times that of carbon dioxide. Grundon explained: “Currently, most inhalers are thrown away in household general waste, or returned
to pharmacies for incineration as clinical waste. Now, every organisation signing up to the new service is given a dedicated inhaler recycling container to store them until they can be collected.” The inhalers are then sent for
processing at Grundon’s specialist AeroPak recycling facility, which can handle over 200,000 a day. Both the plastic casings and the aluminium canisters are recycled, while the gases are safely captured and repurposed for refrigeration industry use. The service’s nationwide roll-out follows
successful trials with NHS Trusts and Health Boards across England and Wales.
Training on ‘intricacies of hospital lifts’
Among what IHEEM Knowledge Partner, PPL Training, describes as a ‘raft of new courses’ that it introduced during 2023 were several new HV electrical courses and – ‘specifically for healthcare estates and facilities teams’ – Authorised Person Lifts HTM 08-02 courses (including refresher training and Trapped Passenger Lift Release). Managing Director, Gary Cooper, said: “In addition, we are now offering a Ventilation Awareness HTM 03-01 course, which is designed specifically for Ventilation Safety Groups, as well as an NHS Premises Assurance Model course which recently received a fantastic review from an NHS Trust customer.” The introduction of AP Lifts
training has seen PPL Training form a working partnership with an established lift industry partner. Kris McGough, MD of Rise Compliance, a qualified LEIA assessor to the lift industry, with a 25-year tenure, will be
working with the training specialist on this venture. He said: “I’m thrilled about the prospects that this partnership holds for my training course. Aligned with HTM 08-02, I will be conducting both in-centre and on-site training. Recognising the intricacies of hospital lifts, and considering the various component parts and maintenance that render each lift unique, this course offers valuable insights and skills. I’m eager to bring my expertise to contribute to this specialised field.”
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