Mauser Packaging Solutions has developed and launched the first medical waste container made of 100% recycled post-consumer packaging waste. Called the WIVA Infinity Container, it is the latest expansion of the company's well-established Infinity brand of containers, which the company produces from its own recycled HDPE, within the scope of its Infinity programme.
Under this programme Mauser has installed recycling centres in the United States, Brazil and Europe, enabling the company to generate post-industrial resin that can be used to manufacture a wide range of industrial packaging with a significantly lower carbon footprint, according to Axel Schaefer, Head of Product Management for Mauser's International Packaging Division.
The new medical waste container, however, is made from post-consumer plastic packaging waste. The product is the result of a collaboration between various supply chain partners - Mauser Packaging Solutions, QCP (Quality Circular Polymers) and waste management expert SUEZ - who jointly sought to develop a solution to reduce the environmental impact of a specific product, in this case, a medical waste container. The 100% recycled material developed for this application needed to be able to meet the relevant quality standards or packaging designed to handle healthcare risk waste. It is available in sizes 30l, 50l and 60l and complements Mauser's existing WIVA Medical Waste Container range.
The new container successfully met the test requirements of the United Nations Dangerous Goods protocols and has now been approved by the Dutch authorities for use in the Dutch market and on Dutch roads.
The concept was awarded the third prize in the 2018 NENnovation Award presented by the Dutch Standardization Institute NEN.