Date: April 6, 2011
Source: HPRC
Eight large companies from across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries have formed a coalition to inspire and enable sustainable, cost effective recycling solutions for plastic products and materials used in the delivery of healthcare. The group is calling itself the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) and includes Waste Management, Inc., Engineered Plastics, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Co., Cardinal Health, DuPont, Hospira, Johnson & Johnson and Kimberly-Clark. The council is currently engaged in three projects aimed at recycling select plastics including an effort to define the healthcare value chain and identify issues and barriers that hinder plastics recycling. Another project is focused on creating design for recycling guidelines to articulate product and packaging design considerations that would enhance recycling. The group is also undertaking pilot projects at healthcare facilities to gather data for its economic analysis of plastic recycling.
PRESS RELEASE
April 6, 2011
Leading Brands in Healthcare, Recycling and Waste Management Form Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council
St. Paul, MN – Eight brand-leading companies across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries have come together to form a technical coalition seeking to inspire and enable sustainable, cost effective recycling solutions for plastic products and materials used in the delivery of healthcare. The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) is made up of members from Becton, Dickinson and Company, Cardinal Health, Engineered Plastics, DuPont, Hospira, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark and Waste Management.
Understanding that the potential for plastics recycling is significant to both reducing environmental and human health impacts, HPRC exists in a collaborative effort to be a change agent for sustainable healthcare product and packaging lifecycle with the end goal of increasing the overall recycling of healthcare plastics. HPRC is unique in its focus on identification of plastics recycling barriers and solution development along the entire value chain, seeking to affect plastics recycling from healthcare product design and manufacturing through product use, disposal and recycle.
HPRC is currently engaged in three initiatives aimed at enabling recycling of select plastics. The first initiative, healthcare plastics value chain mapping, is focused on defining the healthcare value chain and identifying issues and barriers along the value chain that disable plastics recycling. The second initiative, design for recycling guidelines, is focused on developing a document that articulates product and packaging design considerations that could enhance recycling potential and value. The third initiative, pilot study programs within healthcare facilities, is focused on building a data model to facilitate economic analysis of plastics recycling.
About HPRC
HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. HPRC is made up of eight brand leading and globally recognized members including BD, Cardinal Health, DuPont, Engineered Plastics, Hospira, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark and Waste Management. The council convenes biannually at meetings hosted by an HPRC member that include facility tours to further learning and knowledge sharing opportunities through first-hand demonstration of best practices in sustainable product and packaging design and recycling processes. For more information visit www.hprc.org.
For more information, contact:
Tod Christenson
Director, HPRC
Antea Group, Global Corporate Consultancy
5910 Rice Creek Parkway
St. Paul, MN 55126
+1 612 850 8609
tod.christenson@anteagroup.com
Alison Trauley | Consultant, HPRC Communications
Antea™Group
Direct +1 651 697 5162 | Mobile +1 612 750 9945 | USA Toll Free +1 800 477 7411
Skype: alison.trauley | GMT – 5:00
alison.trauley@anteagroup.com | www.anteagroup.com
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