Pilot programme for PVC

Photo supplied.
Photo supplied.
Charge nurse, infection prevention and control, Jo Stodart and consultant anaesthetist Dr Matthew Jenks try out one of the new recycling bins for PVC hospital products. 

Large amounts of PVC products, such as intravenous fluid bags, oxygen masks and tubing, used by Dunedin hospital will be recycled through a new pilot programme.

The PVC products usually end up in the general waste collection and are sent to landfill.

But a group of hospital staff have started a pilot recycling programme in the emergency department, main operating theatre, post anaesthetic care and dialysis units.

''This is a great opportunity to recycle PVC, save money and reuse a valuable resource, which is a win-win situation for everyone,'' Dr Jenks said.

The programme had been set up in partnership with Baxter Health Care Ltd, which supplied the board with PVC medical products.

The company ran recycling programmes in hospitals in Australia and aimed to replicate that in New Zealand. It had organised the purchase of collection bins and provided information for hospital employees.

The waste would be transported by Advance Freight to Matta Products in Otaki, where it would be turned into safety surfacing for playgrounds and industrial applications.

''This is a fantastic scheme and we're hoping to eventually roll this programme out to the whole of the DHB,'' Dr Jenks said.

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