Single-use becomes circular. But how?

Netherlands circular in 2050! That is the government's aspiration. And although 2050 still seems a long way off, a huge amount still needs to be done to achieve this goal. We realise this at Hitma too. In fact, we have a department that focuses entirely on single-use technology for (bio)pharmaceutical processes. What can we still do with these disposable products in a circular industry?

I fully agree that we need to solve the waste problem. And that includes the plastic waste streams our assemblies are part of. It is just a challenge that we have been putting off for a long time. Currently, these pharmaceutical materials are mostly incinerated (sometimes even just thrown together with household waste). A shame, because it is a valuable material that can serve perfectly well as a raw material for other products.

To brainstorm about the circularity of pharmaceutical single-use products, we set up a project team and sat down with several external specialists in the field of sustainable innovations and waste processing. A completely new field for us, but to our surprise, the response about the possibilities has been positive. The platinum cured silicone hoses and styrenic thermoplastic elastomer hoses from our product range were examined and these can be reused just fine.

An additional advantage is that the exact composition of the plastic is known and documented. After all, given the strict requirements within the pharmaceutical industry, this information must always be available. This turns discarded disposables into a pure raw material after cleaning and shredding (unlike many other plastic waste where various types of plastic are mixed together for the recycling process).

Following these positive reports, we started casting fish within the (bio)pharmaceutical industry. We immediately received enthusiastic responses and are now looking into the next steps; collecting, cleaning and processing waste materials into new raw materials. How can this best be taken up and which companies are involved? We don't have these kinds of waste processing companies in our network right now, so if anyone has any tips, I'd love to hear them.

And of course, to complete the chain, we need parties who can use the new raw material in their process. We challenge developers in the manufacturing industry, start-ups, universities, etc. to come up with creative, sustainable ideas. Send me a message and you will receive material specifications.

There is still a lot to do before the Dutch economy runs entirely on reusable raw materials in 2050. I find the road towards it hopeful and inspiring. A voyage of discovery towards sustainable solutions.