RecoMed wins National Recycling Award for medical PVC recycling

RecoMed, a scheme to recover PVC medical devices, has jointly won the Waste Prevention category of the 2017 National Recycling Awards, for an approach to sustainable healthcare recycling.

The scheme, which runs across the UK, is run by project partners Axion Consulting, a resource recovery specialist, and the British Plastics Federation.

Since 2014 RecoMed has supplied recycling containers, communication materials and collections to participating hospitals.

Funded by VinylPlus, the voluntary commitment to sustainable development by the European PVC industry, the scheme provides a sustainable disposal route for waste medical items made from high-quality medical grade PVC. This material has been recycled back into plant pots.

Jane Gardner, Axion’s Principal Consultant, collecting the award at a ceremony at the Hilton Hotel Park Lane, London, said: “We’re thrilled and very proud to win this high profile award, which recognises the tremendous achievements of all participants and hospitals in recycling plastics from the medical waste stream.

“Now operating in ten hospitals, RecoMed continues to grow and is attracting more interest. The scope for development is huge as the scheme could ultimately be replicated across Europe. We are particularly impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of clinicians without whom this scheme would not be possible.”

Francisco Morcillo, Head of Public and Industrial Affairs at the BPF, said: “RecoMed shows once again how PVC has come a long way when it comes to sustainability, becoming a guiding light for other materials. Not only PVC is a very cost-effective material with a great performance, it is also helping hospitals reducing their waste management costs whilst contributing to the principles of a circular economy.”