Regional Healthcare Plastics Recycling Pilot Planned for Greater Houston Area

April 29, 2024 /3BL/ - The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council and Alliance to End Plastic Waste are partnering with Methodist Hospital in effort to demonstrate cross value chain collaboration and divert single-use plastics from landfill or incineration.

The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC), a private, technical coalition of industry peers across manufacturing, healthcare, and recycling industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products ​within healthcare, has entered into partnership with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), a global nonprofit with the mission to end plastic waste in the environment and to advance a circular economy for plastics, to jointly establish a healthcare plastics recycling program in the Houston area, starting with select hospitals within the Houston Methodist network.

The objective of the pilot is to create a program model that demonstrates effective collaboration across the plastics value chain and establishes responsible plastic recycling practices within a geographical network of hospitals with the end goal of serving as a blueprint for other regions. More specifically, the pilot will seek to:

• Establish collection pilots in hospitals in the Greater Houston area;
• Identify logistics partners to collect and transport waste;
• Identify sortation needs and partners for feedstock preparation; and
• Leverage existing end markets and new markets for material.

The pilot is expected to begin Summer 2024.

“Our experience has shown that there are cost-prohibitive challenges to recycling plastics from individual healthcare facilities,” said Peylina Chu, Executive Director of HPRC. “Small quantities, sorting requirements, availability of logistics providers and end-market demand for recycled material, can undermine even the most sustainability-minded hospitals from implementing a healthcare plastics recycling program. Through this pilot work in Houston, we want to take the expertise of HPRC in setting up plastic collection programs at hospitals and combine it with the expertise of AEPW in reverse logistics and working with end processors. Together, with Houston Methodist, we hope to develop a replicable playbook for how other regions can implement economically viable and self-sustaining healthcare plastic recycling programs that achieve meaningful diversion rates and support circularity of these materials.”

Nicholas Kolesch, Vice President of Projects at the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, said, “Plastic is an increasingly critical material in essential industries, including its application in medical devices, health service provision, personal protective equipment, and packaging. At the same time, we must address the waste challenge that arises with increased plastic usage. We are interested in exploring ways to support HPRC in valorizing the plastic waste generated by healthcare providers, to extract value from the material, and limit its landfilling or environmental leakage. Recycling is an essential component in turning plastic into a sustainable material by keeping materials in use for as long as possible and enabling the transition into a circular economy.”

“Houston Methodist has long been a leader in health care, providing world-class medical care to our patients while also striving to be a responsible corporate citizen,” said Jason Fischer, Director, Office of Sustainability at Houston Methodist. “It is critical that we lead by example and honor the physician Hippocratic Oath to “Do No Harm.” Today, our Office of Sustainability, with a focus on green initiatives, is leading the charge in reducing our carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices throughout the organization. We are excited to pursue opportunities to further reduce the impact of our waste streams in collaboration with the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council and Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Together, we plan to review plastic waste streams and current recycling operations in an effort to optimize and develop state-of-the-art healthcare recycling infrastructure and diversion processes.”

About Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council

HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across manufacturing, healthcare and recycling industries seeking to improve the recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. Made up of brand-leading and globally recognized members, HPRC explores ways to enhance the economics, efficiency, and ultimately the quality and quantity of healthcare plastics collected for recycling in support of a circular plastics economy. HPRC is active across the United States and Europe working with key stakeholders, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and participating in industry events and forums. For more information, visit www.hprc.org and follow HPRC on LinkedIn.

About the Alliance to End Plastic Waste

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is a global non-profit organisation with the mission to end plastic waste in the environment and to advance a circular economy for plastics. The Alliance convenes more than 70 companies across the plastic value chain with local communities, civil society groups, intergovernmental organisations, and governments. The collective know-how, experience and resources of this global network enable the current portfolio of more than 50 projects. Together, we work towards economically viable, environmentally beneficial, and socially responsible solutions. Find out more: endplasticwaste.org.

About Houston Methodist

Houston Methodist is one of the nation’s leading health systems and academic medical centers. The health system consists of eight hospitals: Houston Methodist Hospital, its flagship academic hospital in the Texas Medical Center; six community hospitals; and one long-term acute care hospital throughout the Greater Houston area. Houston Methodist also includes a research institute; a comprehensive residency program; a physician organization; international patient services; freestanding comprehensive care, emergency care and imaging centers; and outpatient facilities. Houston Methodist employs approximately 32,000 people and has had more than 1.9 million outpatient visits and more than 138,000 admissions in 2022. U.S. News & World Report has named Houston Methodist Hospital the Best Hospital in Texas (*In a two-way tie) for 2023 while ranking No. 1 in Texas the previous 11 years in a row and recognized on the Honor Roll seven times as a top 20 hospital nationally. Visit www.houstonmethodist.org.

Media Contacts:

Alison Bryant 
Communications Director, HPRC 
alison.bryant@anteagroup.us

Louise Lam 
Corporate Communications, Alliance to End Plastic Waste 
louise.lam@endplasticwaste.org