The Vinyl Institute of Canada has launched the first medical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling pilot partnership in the country.
Named as PVC 123, the pilot aims to promote recycling of PVC medical devices in hospitals and stop them from entering landfills.
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The Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Vinyl Institue of Canada are funding the pilot.
The partnership has named St Joseph’s Health Centre and Humber River Hospital in Toronto as the project leads, with more expected to take part later this year.
As part of this pilot, the partnership will initially collect IV bags, oxygen mask, and oxygen tubing waste. These are then reproduced into new products.
Collections will commence from 15 September to 31 March 2021.
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By GlobalDataVinyl Institute of Canada president and CEO Aiñe Curran said: “Life-saving devices are made from PVC.
“Our industry has been recycling since the1980’s, and we are excited to add hospitals to our growing list of recyclers in Canada.”
As part of the pilot, PVC recycling leader Norwich Plastics manage the logistics of the collected materials and their conversion into new products including hoses, tubing, automotive supplies, sound-dampening products and more.
Norwich Plastics Tribu Persaud said: “Vinyl’s straightforward recyclability is important to this project, and we expect to divert at least 80,000lb of recyclable PVC from landfills from this pilot.
“Vinyl is a multi-tasking material – it’s valuable, functional, and durable which makes it a perfect resource for recycling.”
Earlier this month, the UK’s Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) reduced single-use plastics usage by a total of 47% in Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.
