Download the July/August issue of Sustainable Plastics here.
In the present issue, as always, we’ve put together a range of articles dealing with a choice of topics relevant to today’s emphasis on the need for more sustainability in the plastics industry.
As the cover suggests, one focus in this summer edition is medical plastics and the specific challenges these can pose.
It is hard to imagine now, but once upon a time, plastics were not the overwhelming presence in healthcare that they are today. From medical packaging, devices and consumables, to implantables and PPE, plastics are truly everywhere.
A healthy development? Well, it depends.
Few would want to go back when glass and metal were the dominant materials in use. When disposable IV tubing and catheters came along in the 1960s, people were quick to realise the advantages of the new synthetic materials. These strong, flexible materials also made the development of new devices, such as the intra-aortic balloon pump, developed in the 1960s, possible. Plastic syringes were introduced around that same time. The 1970s saw the advent of the PVC blood bag, replacing the more fragile glass bottles that had been used until then. Single-use disposables, it would seem, had arrived.
What makes their use so attractive? It’s argued that single-use devices that are disposed of immediately after use improve patient safety, by eliminating the possibility of cross-contamination. Moreover, they are convenient – no need for cleaning, disinfecting and sterilisation prior to use: medical consumables come ready for use straight out of the -plastic – packaging. No extra decontamination products are required, plus the costs of regular maintenance are eliminated, making them a cost-effective choice.
The downside is only now starting to be considered. Plastic consumption and pollution are wreaking havoc on the environment and even impacting human health. From leached chemicals from landfilled medical waste to microplastics, harm is being done, and healthcare systems are contributing to this.
A commentary published in 2022 in the well-known medical journal The Lancet noted that ‘the lagging position of medicine in the greening of industry is paradoxical when one considers the burden of illness related to climate change.’ The authors argue that the evidence that disposable materials are superior to thoroughly sterilised reusable ones is ‘minimal’.
Part of the solution could be more reuse and recycling. Alternative materials such as bioplastics can also contribute to reducing the sector's carbon footprint. This issue of Sustainable Plastics addresses both of these options.
Better waste management could markedly improve recycling rates. Studies have shown that recyclable bubble wrap, medical packaging, food containers, detergent bottles, and non-infectious medical products account for a sizeable part—some estimates are as high as 85% - of the medical waste generated. Next to reducing the current vast amount of packaging used, surely better end-of-life solutions are possible for this waste than landfill or incineration?
After all, the health care environment is one that, for centuries, has been governed by a code of ethics that states as guiding principle: ‘first, do no harm’.
Perhaps something to keep in mind in the discussion about moving toward a more circular and sustainable system of medical care.
Download the July/August issue of Sustainable Plastics here.