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Pilot Medical
PVC Recycling Scheme In Belgium
VinylPlus® Med officially
launches its pilot medical PVC recycling scheme in Belgium. Aimed at
accelerating sustainability in healthcare across Europe through the recycling of
discarded single-use PVC medical devices, VinylPlus® Med brings together
hospitals, waste management companies, recyclers and the PVC industry.
Adequate sorting and recycling of non-infectious
plastic waste can significantly reduce the environmental impact of hospitals and
their operational costs. Building on the success of the VinylPlus-funded RecoMed
recycling scheme of PVC masks and tubing, VinylPlus® Med officially launches a
pilot recycling scheme to accelerate sustainability in Belgian hospitals.
PVC is the most common plastic used in life-saving
disposable medical devices including oxygen and anaesthetic masks, tubing, IV
and dialysis bags. Many of these devices, used once and for a short period of
time on non-infectious patients, can be recycled. VinylPlus® Med is now ready to
set up a recycling scheme for single-use PVC medical devices to help Belgian
hospitals sort their PVC medical waste stream. The scheme will focus on clean
and REACH-compliant PVC waste that can be recycled into a wide range of value
products marketed across Europe.
The project brings together the Europe Hospitals,
Renewi as the waste management company, Raff Plastics as the
recycler, and VinylPlus® – the European PVC industry’s commitment to
sustainable development. “Starting with a pilot project in Belgium, we are
excited to make medical plastics more circular together with our partners”
stated Brigitte Dero, Managing Director of VinylPlus.
All Belgian VinylPlus® Med partners are located
within a radius of 120 km, to limit transport distances and thus minimise the
carbon footprint.
“The VinylPlus® Med project proves once again that
recycling is the growth engine of a circular economy: there are still so many
materials that are not recycled and that is precisely where there is growth
potential. Being circular and innovative is something you have to do together.
Value chain collaborations are crucial in the transition to a circular economy.
We are therefore very proud to be part of this sustainability project where
previously lost PVC is now given a second life!” stated Dries De Pauw, Director
Sales and Marketing at Renewi.
Caroline Van der Perre, Co-Owner, Raff Plastics,
added: “For a recycling company such as Raff Plastics, projects like VinylPlus®
Med are important as we assume that everything starts with a good collection.
According to us, there are unfortunately still many materials that could be
recycled but, due to unfavourable circumstances, are sent to landfill or
incineration. A project such as VinylPlus® Med makes sure that everyone becomes
aware and committed to working together to the renewal of raw
materials.”
COVID-19 has highlighted the crucial role played by
single-use plastic medical devices in the prevention and control of infection in
hospitals. The surge in the need of such disposable items has shed light on the
challenges of properly managing and discarding them after use.
“Within this context, VinylPlus wants to help
Belgian hospitals. After all, PVC is the most widely used plastic in healthcare.
Most PVC medical waste is non-infectious and can be recycled when properly
sorted and collected. We are keen to enhance PVC’s recyclability in this
critical sector and are delighted to officially launch our VinylPlus® Med pilot
project in Belgium,” commented Brigitte Dero.
https://pvcmed.org/vinylplus-med-accelerates-sustainability-inbelgian-healthcare/
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