Amcor has joined HPRC, a coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling, and waste management, seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. Amcor will support the coalition with its experience in packaging design for medical devices and applications in hospitals and other treatment settings. The industry group aims to address all dimensions of the packaging value chain, from packaging design to collection systems and end markets.
There is tremendous potential for recycling medical device packaging. However, the nature of current medical packaging materials and the practical considerations of recycling segregation systems in busy healthcare environments needs a new approach, says Amcor. As sustainability requirements for packaging increase, there is an opportunity for the healthcare industry to work collaboratively to make the most of this valuable waste stream, while continuing to ensure product protection and patient safety.
“The healthcare industry poses a unique recycling opportunity,” says David Clark, vice president Sustainability, Amcor. “Amcor has global experience in developing more easily recyclable packaging, and we share HPRC’s vision of improving recycling rates of healthcare plastics.”
“We are delighted to welcome Amcor as our newest member to help us enable plastic recycling systems in healthcare,” says Peylina Chu, executive director of HPRC. “Amcor is highly focused on creating a circular economy as shown in their 2025 pledge. With their technical expertise and their commitment to developing responsible packaging in collaboration with likeminded partners, Amcor is a fantastic addition to HPRC.”
In January 2018, Amcor pledged to develop all its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025. Close collaboration with organizations like HPRC, as well as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and A Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX), helps to achieve that goal and increase the rates of recycling across all industries to advance a circular economy.
