The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) is pleased to welcome W. L. Gore & Associates Medical Products Division, makers of implantable medical devices such as vascular grafts, endovascular and interventional devices used by healthcare professionals worldwide. With more than 45 million devices implanted worldwide, Gore is a world leader in material science and biomaterials.

“We are very excited to welcome Gore to the HPRC team,” says Peylina Chu, Director of HPRC. “As an organization known for innovation, problem-solving, and respect for the environment, they will make an excellent addition to the group, bringing their unique perspective to bear on the challenges of healthcare plastics recycling.”

“As a company and as individuals, we are committed to creating value while still being environmentally responsible,” says Michelle Bezdek, Packaging Engineer for the Medical Division of Gore. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with our industry peers through HPRC to reduce barriers to recycling across the full value chain.”

HPRC is collectively engaged in numerous projects aimed at increasing healthcare recycling rates, including guidance to educate recyclers on healthcare plastics, a refresh of our popular HospiCycle tool that supports hospitals looking to build or expand their programs, a mixed flexibles recyclability assessment, and an upcoming national recycler directory to help facilitate local collaboration.

Gore engineers medical devices that treat a range of cardiovascular and other health conditions. With more than 45 million medical devices implanted over the course of more than 40 years, Gore builds on its legacy of improving patient outcomes through research, education and quality initiatives. Product performance, ease of use and quality of service provide sustainable cost savings for physicians, hospitals and insurers. Gore is joined in service with clinicians and through this collaboration we are improving lives. www.goremedical.com

About HPRC

HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling and waste management industries seeking to improve recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. HPRC is made up of brand leading and globally recognized members including Baxter, BD, Boston Scientific, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, Gore, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Nelipak Healthcare Packaging, Ravago Recycling Group, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. The council convenes biannually at meetings hosted by an HPRC member that regularly include stakeholder engagement events and facility tours to further learning and knowledge sharing opportunities through first-hand demonstration of best practices in sustainable product and packaging design and recycling processes. For more information, visit http://www.hprc.org and follow HPRC on LinkedIn.