Vinyl group seeks medical materials recycling boost

Vinyl group seeks medical materials recycling boost
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The Washington-based Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) has issued a call for hospitals, recyclers and logistics organizations interested in participating in a new United States-based medical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling pilot program.

After holding an early May PVC recycling webinar, the VSC issued its call, and says potential participants can find out more on a dedicated web page.

The pilot initiative aims to divert products from landfills and encourage the recycling of non-hazardous medical PVC devices in hospitals. Pilot participants will be identified by the end of June for a program launch later in the year, says the VSC.

“PVC is integral to the safe and efficient operation of health care facilities all over the world,” says Jay Thomas, VSC executive director. “Hospitals depend on the anti-kink properties of PVC tubing and the ability of vinyl blood bags to preserve the blood supply critical to patient care. For these reasons, PVC is used in nearly 30 percent of medical devices globally. This is a prime opportunity for the U.S. vinyl industry to work with hospitals, recyclers, and logistics organizations to create a recycling pilot in the U.S. We are ready to implement what we’ve learned from our colleagues in Belgium, Australia, South Africa and Canada, who already have successful medical PVC recycling programs in place.”

The VSC pilot program will be designed to collect non-hazardous medical PVC devices, such as IV bags, oxygen masks, and oxygen tubing waste to be remanufactured into new products.

The VSC has set a goal to increase post-consumer recycling to nearly 80,000 tons by 2025. To accomplish this, the VSC says it has developed a PVC recycling roadmap to reach its goal that includes enabling technology innovation, increasing infrastructure investments, informing recyclers and product producers, and collaborating with other organizations committed to PVC recycling.

A U.S. medical PVC recycling pilot program, along with the Vinyl Siding Institute’s ongoing vinyl siding recycling pilot and the Chemical Fabric and Films Association’s vinyl roofing membrane pilot program, have been designed to help the industry achieve that goal.

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Source: Recycling Today
Vinyl group seeks medical materials recycling boost
<![CDATA[The Washington-based Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) has issued a call for hospitals, recyclers and logistics organizations interested in participating in a new United States-based medical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling pilot program.After holding an early May PVC recycling webinar, the VSC issued its call, and says potential participants can find out more on a dedicated web page.The pilot initiative aims to divert products from landfills and encourage the recycling of non-hazardous medical PVC devices in hospitals. Pilot participants will be identified by the end of June for a program launch later in the year, says the VSC.“PVC is integral to the safe and efficient operation of health care facilities all over the world,” says Jay Thomas, VSC executive director. “Hospitals depend on the anti-kink properties of PVC tubing and the ability of vinyl blood bags to preserve the blood supply critical to patient care. For these reasons, PVC is used in nearly 30 percent of medical devices globally. This is a prime opportunity for the U.S. vinyl industry to work with hospitals, recyclers, and logistics organizations to create a recycling pilot in the U.S. We are ready to implement what we’ve learned from our colleagues in Belgium, Australia, South Africa and…