BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading medical technology company with global headquarters in Franklin Lakes, and Envetec Sustainable Technologies have announced the successful completion of a joint feasibility study to test the ability to recycle polystyrene Petri dishes into new, high-quality manufacturing feedstock.
The results of the pilot study suggest that similar high-quality polymers, including polystyrene, polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene, could be reused in the manufacturing supply chain after being safely disinfected and processed. These polymers are widely used in medical devices, such as those made by BD.
Envetec’s GENERATIONS technology converts regulated waste into recyclable polymer flakes through a validated, low-energy chemical disinfection process. In the BD pilot, unused BD BBL prepared plated media were processed as post-industrial material.
The plates and their contents were shredded, separated, chemically disinfected and transformed into recycled, clean polymer flakes. These flakes were extruded into polystyrene pellets and molded into new Petri dish prototypes. Material property testing and molding feasibility were completed.
“This pilot marks the first step in a broader effort to demonstrate the feasibility of recovering and recycling multiple types of plastic products across health care supply chains,” said Malcolm Bell, CEO of Envetec Sustainable Technologies.
“By creating a proof of concept for a pathway that allows regulated plastics to be safely treated and returned to productive use, we are opening the door to sustainable solutions that can help the industry avoid landfill and keep valuable materials in circulation.”
Envetec and BD see clear opportunities to expand the pilot, cut reliance on virgin plastic and keep high-value polymers in circulation.
“Single-use devices made of high-quality plastics play a critical role in modern health care due to safety, ease of use and scalability, but we recognize the long-term impact that these materials can have on the environment,” said Nikos Pavlidis, worldwide president, Diagnostic Solutions at BD.
“This pilot, conducted by BD’s Sustainable Medical Technologies Institute, represents an important step toward enabling circular economy solutions for other high-volume health care consumables made from commonly used plastics, such as blood collection tubes, syringes and packaging.”
Envetec’s GENERATIONS technology is currently being deployed in biopharma and life science facilities, hospitals and food and beverage sectors across the United States and Europe. This technology processes regulated medical and biohazardous waste, transforming it into clean polymer flakes suitable for recycling.
In collaboration with customers and recycling partners, Envetec is developing sustainable circular pathways for treated laboratory plastics. This process involves converting clean flake into recycled pellets and, where possible, into new plastic products.
