PVC take-back scheme awarded top environment award

07.11.2016

A waste PVC take-back scheme has been recognised for its sustainability credentials by the UK’s medical industry.

A waste PVC take-back scheme has been recognised for its sustainability credentials by the UK’s medical industry.

RecoMed, a collaboration between the British Plastics Federation and its project partners, Axion Consulting, has won the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) and Association for Anaesthetic and Respiratory Device Suppliers’ Environment Award.

Running since early 2014, the RecoMed scheme provides recycling containers, communication materials and collections to NHS and private hospitals that register for the scheme.

Participating hospitals save money on waste disposal costs by recycling non-infectious PVC medical items instead of sending them to clinical or offensive waste streams, which are currently either incinerated or sent to specialist landfill sites. PVC items currently being collected include anaesthetic masks, oxygen masks and tubing. RecoMed provides an opportunity to give these easily recyclable and high-quality plastics a new lease of life.

The award recognises excellence in sustainability and will be officially presented to the Recomed team at the AAGBI’s Annual Congress in Edinburgh on Friday 25th September.

To read a case study on RecoMed, please click here.