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Site visits by members of the k8����™ �ղⱹ���® Healthcare Packaging team and representatives from Freepoint helped identify and assess medical device packages and other products (such as tubs, basins and pitchers) that could and couldn’t be collected for the recycling pilot. During these visits, members of the k8����™ �ղⱹ���® Healthcare Packaging team and representatives from Freepoint also answered questions from nurses and staff leaders; reviewed proposed collection, storage and pick-up areas; and discussed with the EVS team how this would change typical material flow.��

Identifying which materials and products can or cannot be accepted into recycling processes is a significant barrier when it comes to recycling healthcare plastics. That’s because the healthcare plastic waste stream is made up of mixed resin/polymer types and forms—both flexibles and rigids—which create challenges when it comes to recycling. 

“For this pilot program, we targeted the collection of non-hazardous, uncontaminated healthcare plastics,” said Kat Doerr, Vice President of Plastic Supply Origination at Freepoint Eco-Systems. “Our pyrolysis process operates on a feedstock of olefinic materials, so we used this as the leading criteria to identify acceptable and non-acceptable materials for collection practices,” she explained. 

With the Freepoint team providing guidance as to what types of polymers are desired for their process, the k8����™ �ղⱹ���® Healthcare Packaging team members could leverage their experience in the market to identify with the healthcare facility leaders the specific packaging and products that could be collected from the waste stream for the pilot study.

There was a lot of ongoing communication with the k8����™ �ղⱹ���® Healthcare Packaging team and Freepoint to help assess the program and resolve questions and concerns. During the first few months of the pilot, most of the communications were related to contamination issues.

When composition analysis reports provided by Freepoint showed contamination in initial pickups, emails were sent to remind the staff of what was and wasn’t acceptable waste for the purple bag program. Additional training sessions were also conducted to reinforce this information and provide staff with the opportunity to ask questions.

Investigation revealed that contamination during collection in the clinical setting was minimal and was caused by undesirable materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) being put into the purple bags and a few instances of breakroom/food trash being placed in the bags. The majority of the contamination had occurred at the aggregation points/roll off containers located outside. 

As a result, some logistical changes were made, such as removing a collection bin from a breakroom, moving a roll off container to a fenced-in area and switching to a “doghouse” roll off container in another area, as previously noted.
 

Measuring the impact

During the first 9 months of the pilot, a total of 13,792 pounds of plastic waste was diverted from landfill. Over time, contamination decreased significantly and improved training around what materials should be collected from the clinical setting, as well as changes to aggregation containers proved themselves out, making contamination no longer an issue and underscoring the importance of ongoing communication and training.

Overall, the recycling pilot at these two outpatient centers has been deemed a success and provided valuable learnings that can be applied as the university healthcare system looks to expand the purple bag program beyond the initial two areas. 

According to the Zero Waste Manager, “Feedback has ranged from overwhelmingly positive to a total lack of interest or enthusiasm. And we know from the volumes that we are only capturing a fraction of the total hard-to-recycle plastics due to some people not participating in the collection efforts.”

“We can take away barriers, figure out funding and logistics, provide training, track and monitor data, but at this point we can only ask people to volunteer,” said the Sustainability Leader. “We are starting to build accountability into our culture but we don’t have a penalty for non-compliance. We need recycling goals to be set for all to meet from the top down.”

The Zero Waste Manager added, “The opportunity to recycle plastics within healthcare systems is enormous, so investing the time and resources to set up a functional recycling program has the potential to make a huge difference.”

Key learnings

• Cross-value chain collaboration can be a catalyst for successful recycling programs.
• Setting up a recycling program can make a real difference in decreasing what is currently going to the landfill and help healthcare institutions achieve waste reduction goals.
• A successful recycling program is so much more than just setting up bins; it requires a project manager(s) to help ensure adoption and success
• Clear, frequent communication is essential.
• Initial training will likely need to be followed up with additional training.
• Long-term planning, as well as funding for hauling and supplies, is required to ensure ongoing success.