Ask a Doctor: Answering Recyclers’ Questions About Healthcare Plastics

Healthcare Plastics Recycling County (HPRC) recently hosted roundtables for hospitals (in conjunction with CleanMed) and recyclers (in conjunction with Re|focus). One of our biggest takeaways has been the barriers created by misconceptions and questions recyclers have about the safety and cleanliness of healthcare plastics.

In this informative blog, Ilyssa Gordon, MD, PhD, medical director of the Office for a Healthy Environment at Cleveland Clinic, and HFAB member, answers questions such as who sorts plastics generated in an OR, are nurses trained, how is hazardous waste handled, and more!

About HPRC

HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. HPRC is made up of brand leading and globally recognized members including Baxter, BD, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Nelipak Healthcare Packaging, Ravago Recycling Group, and ThermoFisher Scientific. The council convenes biannually at meetings hosted by an HPRC member that regularly include stakeholder engagement events and facility tours to further learning and knowledge sharing opportunities through first-hand demonstration of best practices in sustainable product and packaging design and recycling processes. For more information, visit http://www.hprc.org and follow HPRC on LinkedIn.