Healthcare facilities in the US produce more than 5 million tons of waste annually, with plastics representing a very large portion of this waste. However, due to a variety of factors, very little of it is recycled.
In response to this challenge, the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) was formed. This coalition of industry leaders across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries share one mission—to improve the recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. As part of this effort, the HPRC released a set of Design Guidelines for Optimal Hospital Plastics Recycling offering useful product and packaging design tips based on findings from a pilot study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic, Engineered Plastics and Waste Management.
HDPE was proven to be a cost effective option for medical packaging. Seeing the potential of HDPE as a viable solution for sterile barrier systems, TEQ worked to develop a better HDPE blend/tray to combat known recyclability issues.
