Eight companies in the healthcare, recycling and waste-management sectors have formed the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC). The new group will promote the recycling of plastic products and materials used in the delivery of healthcare. Members include Becton, Dickinson and Co., Cardinal Health, Engineered Plastics, DuPont, Hospira, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark and Waste Management. HPRC will focus on identifying barriers to plastics recycling, along with the development of solutions across the supply chain, from product design and manufacturing through use, disposal and recycling. The coalition is currently engaged in three initiatives aimed at increasing the recycling of select plastics. The first, healthcare plastics value chain mapping, will define the industry's supply chain and identify related barriers. The second, design for recycling guidelines, will focus on developing a document that details product and packaging design innovations to enhance recycling. The third, pilot study programs within healthcare facilities, will work on building a data model to support the economic analysis of plastics recycling.
