The PVC recycling pilot aims to encourage the recycling of PVC medical devices in hospitals and prevent products from entering the landfills
Vinyl Institute of Canada begins medical PVC recycling pilot partnership. (Credit: insung yoon on Unsplash.)
The Vinyl Institute of Canada has launched the first medical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling pilot partnership, named PVC 123, in Canada.
The pilot aims to prevent products from entering the landfills and encourage the recycling of PVC medical devices in hospitals.
The Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Vinyl Institute of Canada have provided funding for the pilot.
St Joseph’s Health Centre and Humber River Hospital of Toronto have been selected as the pilot leads by the partnership.
The Vinyl Institute of Canada said that other hospitals are expected to join the pilot programme later this year.
The recycling pilot partnership to collect V bags, oxygen mask, and oxygen tubing waste
Initially, the partnership will collect the V bags, oxygen mask, and oxygen tubing waste from the hospital operating rooms and then they will be reproduced into new products.
Vinyl Institute of Canada president and CEO Aiñe Curran said: “Life-saving devices are made from PVC.
“Our industry has been recycling since the 1980s, and we are excited to add hospitals to our growing list of recyclers in Canada.”
The collection process is planned to commence from 15 September to 31 March 2021.
PVC recycling company Norwich Plastics will be responsible to manage the logistics of the collected materials as well as their conversion into new products including hoses, tubing, automotive supplies, and sound-dampening products.
Norwich Plastics’ Tribu Persaud said: “Vinyl’s straightforward recyclability is important to this project, and we expect to divert at least 80,000 pounds 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.”