More PVC recycling rolled out across Dunedin Hospital

More PVC recycling rolled out across Dunedin Hospital

A pilot recycling scheme started last year at Dunedin Hospital has gone so well that it’s been rolled out across a further five wards, bringing the total number of wards at the hospital offering PVC recycling to nine.

The scheme, originally piloted in the Emergency Department, Main Operating Theatre, Post Anaesthetic Care Unit, and Dialysis, has now been rolled out to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Ward 8c (Oncology), Oncology Day Unit, Day Surgery Unit, and the Cath Lab. The PVC items being recycled are oxygen masks, oxygen tubing and IV fluid bags and IV irrigation bags, which previously ended up in the general waste collection and sent to landfill.

The recycling programme was set up in partnership with Baxter Health Care Limited (Baxter), who supplies Southern DHB with various PVC medical products. Baxter has also just donated $500 to purchase more recycling bins which will help the roll out of the scheme even more.

“We’re delighted with the success of the pilot scheme which has allowed us to continue with our recycling across more wards in the hospital. We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response from staff which has made this all possible,” said Dunedin Hospital, Pharmacy Manager, Craig MacKenzie.

Alongside Baxter, the DHB have also partnered with Advance Freight who collect the waste and transport it to Otaki, where Matta Products turn the PVC into a range of safety surfacing for playgrounds and industrial applications.

Since the scheme started over 600kg of PVC has been dispatched to Matta products, with the additional wards now recycling the DHB is hoping to double the bi-monthly amount collected.

The scheme was made possible by a working group of enthusiastic staff including representatives from clinical, management, procurement and logistics, who got the initial pilot PVC recycling programme off the ground. As well as the working group supporting the scheme, clinical and non-clinical champions have been providing training and education sessions to staff.

“The scheme is an excellent initiative, which the staff have embraced,” said Andy Evans, PVC champion for Oncology Day Unit.

ENDS

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