BD, Casella Complete Industry-First Pilot Recycling 40,000 Pounds of Used Medical Devices
October 16 2023 - 4:35PM
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global
medical technology company, and Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
(Nasdaq: CWST) (Casella), a solid waste, recycling, and resource
management services company, today announced the most recent
results of a recycling pilot to manage discarded syringes and
needles that led to 40,000 pounds of medical waste being recycled
and diverted from disposal.
Health care facilities are a major consumer of syringes, which
have been particularly difficult to recycle due to the various
components and steps involved in the process, including safe
handling of medical waste and treating and sterilizing materials
before they can be re-introduced for recycling. This recycling
pilot helps address a historic challenge within the health care
industry – which generates more than 3 billion pounds of plastic
waste in the U.S. alone.i
The circular economy pilot, which took place in the first half
of 2023, was the first large-scale effort to assess the feasibility
of recycling medical waste found in red sharps containers. These
containers included a broad range of medical equipment and
materials, primarily syringes and needles. The medical waste was
collected across a variety of health care facilities and all of the
plastics were diverted from disposal and recycled. The pilot also
assessed technical feasibility of two types of technology –
mechanical and advanced recycling – both showing favorable results
in their ability to successfully recycle used medical devices for
use in other products.
“Needles and syringes help enable a wide range of critical
medical treatments and care, but they require plastic for
production -- which generates waste and is one of the most relevant
environmental issues facing the health care industry today,” said
Chee Lum, vice president and general manager of injection systems
for BD. “At BD, we are committed to reducing the environmental
impact of our portfolio, and the results of this study show that by
working together with industry partners, we can drive sustainable
solutions that have a positive impact on the health of our planet
and communities.”
The next stage of the pilot program will expand regionally to
additional hospitals and non-acute care facilities. The teams will
also increase focus to cover other types of
medical materials for recycling, as well as reclaiming the
used devices and returning them to the manufacturing process.
“This pilot showcases the strength of collaborative partnerships
when it comes to sustainable material management practices,” said
Casella Chairman and CEO, John W. Casella. “We are excited to find
an opportunity to provide our expertise and services to a
forward-thinking customer like BD to help enable new streams of
sustainability and resource management. We’re pleased with the
outcome of this first phase and look forward to continuing to
expand on these results and provide solutions to one of health
care’s most pressing waste issues.”
Over the last decade, BD and Casella have partnered to recover,
process and recycle waste at BD sites across the U.S. BD is
addressing the impact of its devices from cradle to grave
ultimately progressing toward its 2030+ environmental, social and
governance goals. To learn more about the BD ESG goals,
visit https://news.bd.com/esg. To learn more about Casella,
visit the company’s website at www.casella.com.
About BDBD is one of the largest
global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing
the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and
the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the
frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology,
services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for
patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its
77,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the
safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable
laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance
researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of
diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every
country and partners with organizations around the world to address
some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in
close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes,
lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand
access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit
bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at
www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/ and Twitter @BDandCo.
About Casella Waste Systems, Inc.Casella Waste
Systems, Inc., headquartered in Rutland, Vermont, is one of the
largest recyclers and most experienced fully integrated resource
management companies in the Eastern United States. Founded in 1975
as a single truck collection service, Casella has grown its
operations to provide solid waste collection and disposal,
transfer, recycling, and organics services to more than one million
residential, commercial, municipal, institutional, and industrial
customers and provides professional resource management services in
more than 40 states.
Contacts: |
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Media: |
Investors: |
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Alyssa Kretlow |
Adam Reiffe |
BD Corporate Communications |
BD Investor Relations |
551.238.4391 |
201.847.6927 |
alyssa.kretlow@bd.com |
adam.reiffe@bd.com |
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Jeff Weld |
Jason Mead |
Director of Communications, Casella |
SVP of Finance & Treasurer, Casella |
802.772.2234 |
802.772.2293 |
jeff.weld@casella.com |
jason.mead@casella.com |
i Rizan C, Mortimer F, Stancliffe R, Bhutta MF. Plastics in
healthcare: time for a re-evaluation. Journal of the Royal Society
of Medicine. 2020;113(2):49-53. doi:10.1177/0141076819890554
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