Medical equipment is designed and produced for optimal functionality and safe use. Polymer raw materials used for medical equipment are often of better quality than plastics in general. Also, medical devices provide a unique opportunity for value preservation through recycling, because of the regulatory framework for ingredients, traceability, and Quality Control.
The current project was initiated in 2016 with a partnership between the medical device manufacturer AMBU A/S, The Capital Region of Denmark, PVC Informationsrådet, The PVCMed Alliance, the manufacturer of PVC products Gibo Plast A/S, and the Danish Technological Institute.
With respect to the manufacturing of medical equipment in plastic, PVC constitutes the largest single fraction of polymers. It is estimated that almost 30% of plastic-based medical devices are made of PVC on a global and European scale. Little fluctuations in volumes are expected over the next ten years. The remaining 70% of the plastic-based equipment is distributed among several other polymer (PVCMed Alliance, 2021).