How to set up a syringe recycling programme

Are you looking to implement a syringe recycling programme in your healthcare facility, but not sure where to start? This blog post will guide you step by step in how to recycle clean, non-infectious syringes or potentially even sterilised used syringes.

Perform a syringe recycling assessment

Before setting up a syringe recycling programme, it’s important to make sure your healthcare facility is ready for one. This is why performing an assessment is crucial.

• Ensure this is the right time for your healthcare facility¹.
• Calculate the average daily quantity of syringe waste produced by each department².
• Estimate the costs and savings associated with implementing the programme³.
• List major changes (i.e., purchases, vendors and staff changes) that will be needed to set this up³
• Identify key stakeholders who are willing to commit time and resources to this project¹.

Once you’ve assessed the feasibility of this programme based on your overall waste management needs, it’s time to convince management.

More on this topic: The ins and outs of syringe waste disposal

Make a business case for your syringe recycling programme

You may need to get approval from your healthcare facility’s executive leadership team³. In larger healthcare facilities, there may be a waste-management committee in place². Whether you’re presenting to your leadership team or waste-management committee, use the following tips to prepare a proposal:

• Keep it short and concise (i.e., 1–2 pages or 3–4 slides maximum, 15 minutes)³.
• Present your healthcare facility’s syringe waste profile³:
  • Daily waste generated
  • Breakdown of waste-management costs
  • Cost savings associated with solid waste diversion
• Show estimated cost savings from recycling syringes³.
• Explain how this future programme will align with your healthcare facility’s current sustainability strategy¹.

Now that you’ve made a case for your future syringe recycling program, deep dive into how to select a recycling partner.

Choose a recycling partner for your syringe recycling programme

Your current waste hauler or recycling partner may or may not be equipped to handle syringes⁴. Here are six questions to ask your current or future recycling partner⁵:

1. What kinds of plastic materials can they accept?
2. How will they manage infectious materials?
3. Will they provide training and education?
4. How should syringes be prepared for shipment?
5. Once recycled, where will the plastic material end up?
6. What kind of data will they collect and report?

Recycling partners will readily accept clean, non-infectious syringes⁵. Contaminated plastic syringes and catheters present particular challenges for recycling due to their bio-hazardous nature⁶.

Since 2013, BD has partnered with Casella to recycle manufacturing waste, including off-specification syringes⁶. This year, these two companies have launched a pilot circularity programme to help healthcare facilities in North America recycle BD syringes⁶.

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