Full-circle solutions for sustainability in the healthcare industry
Zach Muscato, corporate sustainability manager, Plastic Ingenuity, shares the full-circle solutions for sustainability in the healthcare industry.
In an industry where patient health and safety are utmost concerns, it can be challenging to introduce new practices, even when those changes are for the better. There is increasing pressure in the healthcare sector to become more sustainable, and that must be balanced with the need to protect the medical devices and medicines entrusted to save lives.
For the past two years, Plastic Ingenuity, a specialist in custom thermoforming for healthcare and other industries, has conducted listening sessions with key stakeholders, including manufacturers of medical devices, pharmaceutical products and life science applications. These conversations have provided invaluable insights to the initiatives advancing the packaging industry toward a more circular economy. Among healthcare organisations, five priorities have risen to the top.
1. New influences advancing sustainability initiatives
Group purchasing organisations (GPOs) and their environmentally preferred procurement (EPP) policies are major influencers in the healthcare industry. EPPs are being integrated into contract tenders, providing motivation for medtech organisations to increase focus on the sustainability of their products and packaging. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), such as Practice Greenhealth, are providing a framework and resources for the sector to leverage sustainability initiatives. Global legislation is another major influencer for organisations that operate internationally. Additionally, healthcare service providers (HSPs) are committing to zero or reduced waste goals, putting a renewed focus on end-of-life outcomes for medical device packaging.
2. Expanded understanding of circularity in packaging
Many organisations recognise that transitioning to a circular economy is necessary to achieve responsible consumption goals. Over half (57%) of survey respondents from the healthcare industry said their organisations are focused on maximising post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in their packaging to enhance circularity. This is notable given the regulatory requirements constricting the use of PCR in sterile barrier system (SBS) packaging. However, it’s a misconception that materials from a healthcare setting must be incinerated or sent to a landfill – only about 15% of packaging waste from healthcare facilities is hazardous. Healthcare stakeholders have expressed interest in PCR for secondary and tertiary packaging because those applications are less constrained.
3. Innovative technologies improving recycling capabilities
Regarding SBS packaging, medical device manufacturers are optimistic about the potential of advanced recycling techniques and mass balance systems to help unlock opportunities to use PCR materials. Advanced recycling, also called chemical recycling, is a suite of novel techniques that focuses on hard-to-recycle materials. Purification, depolymerisation and conversion are the typical methods; each type breaks a polymer down to a precursor and/or removes impurities like colourants and additives.
Mass balance systems can also support PCR markets without compromising performance or compliance. Mass balance is a chain-of-custody protocol that tracks recycled content through manufacturing processes. Although it’s not possible to trace the exact recycled molecules, recycled plastic in manufacturing is recorded and balanced with certified recycled content in end products. Plastic Ingenuity recently received ISCC PLUS certification, verifying accuracy of its manufacturing processes through third-party audits, which means its customers can incorporate PCR from advanced recycling technologies into their packaging solutions.
4. Increasing need to recover all packaging types
Improving recovery rates of all packaging types is essential to unlock true circularity in packaging. In fact, the goal to increase recovery was cited by 71% of surveyed healthcare stakeholders as key to their sustainability strategies. Four tactics can help improve recovery rates, including closed-loop recycling, increasing package recovery in practice, making packages from recyclable materials, and designing packages for recovery.
Closed-loop recycling methods are particularly important within the healthcare industry, where traditional recycling collection systems are lacking, especially in clinical settings. With closed-loop recycling, such as a take-back program, recovered packaging items can be reused into new packaging materials. Although the logistics of these programs may be complex, a life cycle assessment (LCA) can help determine if closed-loop recycling programs have lower environmental impacts than alternate end-of-life outcomes. For instance, Plastic Ingenuity helped a laboratory research supplier reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by six times, annually divert 1.1 million pounds of plastic from landfills and reclaim 98% of PCR PET to make new thermoformed products.
5. Design enhancements supporting waste reduction
Design optimisation is enabling greater packaging circularity. Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) provides a resource, Design Guidance for Healthcare Plastics Recycling, to help create packages designed for recovery. Additionally, packaging systems are being evaluated holistically to determine where reductions can be made. A minimalist approach can help reduce weight and material usage, increasing shipping and other downstream efficiencies that may limit GHG emissions.
For example, Merit Medical Systems, needed to decrease material waste, reduce packaging costs and eliminate shipping damage. Using Eastalite copolyester, a foamed PETG material, Plastic Ingenuity designed a universal transport tray capable of accommodating multiple devices within a product line. This redesign also offers improved product protection, 133% increase of devices per pallet, 57% reduction in transatlantic freight costs, 52% reduction in packaging material costs and robustness for reusability at least four times.
Another emerging trend is that more healthcare is happening in the home, and the industry needs to consider how that could impact packaging design. Specifically, ease of use in packaging becomes more prominent to accommodate users of different ages and physical capabilities. Other factors to consider are ways to reduce packaging waste and how to establish recovery streams in residential settings.
Developing innovative packaging solutions can be challenging in an industry that is heavily regulated and slow to change. Yet healthcare and life sciences organisations are beginning to recognise that transitioning to a circular economy is necessary to help secure a future for generations to come. With advanced technologies and a confluence of influencers driving change, medtech organisations are increasingly engaged in proactive steps and strategies that will support a more sustainable industry.