Summary: Westlake Global Compounds and Westlake Dimex have launched a pioneering PVC recycling program called “Choose Pink” in partnership with Houston Methodist Hospital. The program aims to collect and recycle post-patient PVC medical items, reducing landfill waste and repurposing materials into new consumer and industrial products.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sustainability Initiative: The “Choose Pink” program is the first of its kind in Houston, aiming to reduce waste by recycling post-patient PVC items used in healthcare settings.
  • Recycling Impact: Recycled PVC materials will be reprocessed into various durable goods, contributing to sustainability and the circular economy in healthcare and beyond.

Westlake Global Compounds and Westlake Dimex, units of Westlake Corporation, have launched “Choose Pink,” a pilot polyvinyl chloride (PVC) recycling program with Houston Methodist Hospital. The program is the first of its kind at a Houston healthcare system and will be implemented at the Outpatient Center at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Program Details

The Choose Pink program will establish a collection system for post-patient PVC items, such as nasal cannulas, masks, oxygen tubing, and saline bags from outpatient procedures. These items, usually disposed of, will now be collected in designated bags to avoid further sorting. The bags will be transported to a Houston Methodist warehouse and then to Westlake Dimex’s facility in Marietta, Ohio, for recycling.

“This pilot PVC recycling program is an opportunity for our clinical technicians to divert a substantial amount of material from landfills and into a system where these items may be reformatted for other use,” said Jason Fischer, director of the office of sustainability, Houston Methodist. “At our core, Houston Methodist strives to help people live longer, healthier and happier lives. That commitment, combined with our culture of innovation, extends to the stewardship of our environment. We look forward to this recycling collection system augmenting our ongoing sustainability efforts.”

Benefits of PVC Recycling

PVC, a versatile material used for over 70 years in medical devices, enables various healthcare applications. Recycling single-use healthcare items offers the potential to reduce carbon footprints and minimize landfill waste.

“Westlake is pleased to collaborate with Houston Methodist for this unique opportunity to collect post-patient PVC materials from outpatient procedures and reprocess them into durable consumer goods,” said Andy Antil, general manager of Westlake Dimex. “Once a truckload of the Choose Pink PVC is collected, it will be transported to Westlake Dimex where the material will be weighed, reground, reused and processed into new products such as commercial and retail runner matting, exercise equipment matting, dock edging, and cord protection products.”

Global Context and Future Impact

Houston Methodist is the first healthcare facility in Houston to implement such a program, following similar initiatives worldwide. Other PVC medical device recycling programs exist in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Belgium, Guatemala, the UK, Canada, and various U.S. cities.

Westlake Dimex processes over 100 million pounds of recycled plastic materials annually, making it a leading post-industrial resin processor in the U.S. The recycled material from Houston Methodist will be repurposed into various consumer and industrial products, including mats, garden edging, dock edging, and cord protection products.