The Vinyl Institute of Canada has launched PVC 123 - the first Medical PVC Recycling Pilot partnership in Canada.
The pilot, established with funding support from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Vinyl Institute of Canada, aims to divert products from landfills and encourage the recycling of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) medical devices in hospitals. Hospital operating rooms which produce the highest volume of IV bags, oxygen mask, and oxygen tubing waste, will be the first point of collection, after which, collected materials will be remanufactured into new products.
The partnership welcomes St. Joseph's Health Centre and Humber River hospital in Toronto as the leads for the pilot. Collection begins September 15th, 2020, through to March 31st, 2021. Additional hospitals are expected to join the program this year. "Life saving devices are made from PVC. Our industry has been recycling since the1980's, and we are excited to add hospitals to our growing list of recyclers in Canada," said Vinyl Institute of Canada's President & CEO, Aiñe Curran.
"As healthcare providers, it is our duty to mitigate environmental impacts of health care provision," said St. Joseph's Anesthesiologist Dr. Ali Abbass who has been recycling PVC devices for several years. Norwich Plastics, a leader in PVC recycling, will oversee the logistics of the collected materials and their conversion into new products -- such as hoses, tubing, automotive supplies, and sound-dampening products as a few examples. Tribu Persaud, of Norwich Plastics, explains that, "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."
"We are pleased to support the Vinyl Institute of Canada's PVC 123 Program, which aims to safely recycle used medical plastics. Innovative Canadian projects like this one are crucial in keeping plastic waste in the economy and out of the environment," said the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Laurie Thomas, Director of the Perioperative and Endoscopy programs at Humber River in Toronto, one of Canada's most technologically advanced hospitals, will outfit 20 operating rooms and five Endoscopy suites, as well as the Post Anesthetic Care Unit, and Surgical Day Care with PVC collection receptacles. Ms. Thomas explains that, "It's vital for all institutions to recycle where possible, and if we can show people that a fast paced and complex hospital environment can recycle, then we all can... it's a great message for Humber River Hospital to cultivate."
Vinyl Institute of Canada Chairman, Veso Sobot notes, "The PVC123 recycling pilot is a true innovation not only for the vinyl industry and hospitals, but a great leadership model for the entire plastics industry in Canada."
