MEDICAL PLASTICS
NGO drafts sustainability criteria for European buyers of medical gloves and textiles
 According to HCWH, disposable gloves are the most-purchased plastic items (Photo: Panthermedia/Wavebreakmedia) |
The Healthcare Market Transformation Network, set up by Belgian NGO Health Care Without Harm (HCWH, Brussels; www.noharm.org), has drafted a list of criteria to support European buyers in choosing sustainable healthcare products in place of fossil-based plastics versions.
There are two documents, one on disposable examination gloves and one on reusable medical textiles, that provide sustainability criteria and guidelines for buyers to adopt as part of their tendering processes. They enable a tender to be evaluated against award criteria that ensure environmental and social considerations are incorporated into a contract, together with any price or cost criterion.
Related: PVCMed Alliance denounces HCWH’s “unfounded allegations” against PVC
The criteria will be developed and improved over time to keep pace with market developments and procurement best practice. To that end, HCWH is encouraging feedback and suggestions that it said it will take into consideration and periodically update the documents.
According to HCWH, for many hospitals, disposable gloves are the plastics items purchased in the most significant quantities while single-use textiles, such as protective clothing or bed pads, also account for a high proportion of plastics healthcare waste.
HCWH published a report last year calling out the healthcare sector for its unnecessary use of single-use plastics (see Plasteurope.com of 06.12.2021).
There are two documents, one on disposable examination gloves and one on reusable medical textiles, that provide sustainability criteria and guidelines for buyers to adopt as part of their tendering processes. They enable a tender to be evaluated against award criteria that ensure environmental and social considerations are incorporated into a contract, together with any price or cost criterion.
Related: PVCMed Alliance denounces HCWH’s “unfounded allegations” against PVC
The criteria will be developed and improved over time to keep pace with market developments and procurement best practice. To that end, HCWH is encouraging feedback and suggestions that it said it will take into consideration and periodically update the documents.
According to HCWH, for many hospitals, disposable gloves are the plastics items purchased in the most significant quantities while single-use textiles, such as protective clothing or bed pads, also account for a high proportion of plastics healthcare waste.
HCWH published a report last year calling out the healthcare sector for its unnecessary use of single-use plastics (see Plasteurope.com of 06.12.2021).
04.02.2022 Plasteurope.com [249505-0]
Published on 04.02.2022