The medical sector is facing a growing waste challenge. Large volumes of medical plastic waste are generated every year, while reuse and recycling rates remain low. Many medical products are still designed for single use, despite the availability of advanced materials and technologies that can enable a second life.
To address this in a Flemish context, VIL and Denuo launched the Select4Care project. Supported by VinylPlus®, the project focuses on selective collection, sorting, dismantling and high-quality recycling of medical products and materials – all activities carried out in the VinylPlus® Med recycling scheme. Select4Care also actively involves manufacturers, promoting design for recycling so that end-of-life considerations are integrated from the earliest design stages.
At the Select4Care closing event on 22 January in Niel, Belgium, stakeholders and industry players will share the project’s results, practical experiences and lessons learned, highlighting how medical waste streams can be managed more efficiently and sustainably.
As part of the programme, Ole Grøndahl Hansen of VinylPlus Healthcare will present the current status of DEHP in medical devices, highlighting how substitution with safe, DEHP-free plasticisers is already well advanced and enables replacement in virtually all medical applications.
