BD and Waste Management launch initiative to recycle medical sharps waste

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) and Waste Management Healthcare Solutions, a subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc., have announced an agreement to recycle medical sharps waste from hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The companies are jointly launching the BD ecoFinity™ Life Cycle Solution, a service that will recycle medical sharps waste and utilize the material to manufacture new products.

Single-use medical devices such as needles and syringes provide clear clinical and public health benefits. However, hospitals are increasingly concerned with reducing waste and avoiding unnecessary costs. Drawing upon Waste Management’s expertise in the collection and management of medical waste and BD’s leadership as a global medical technology company, the BD ecoFinity program will enable hospitals to reduce their environmental footprint and avoid additional costs without compromising patient care.

“BD’s long-term objective is to reduce the environmental impacts of our products at each stage of the life cycle,” said Bill Kozy, executive vice president, BD. “The collaboration between Waste Management and BD will help healthcare facilities reduce the materials that go into disposal. We are also working to reduce the use of raw materials, increase the use of recycled materials in new products and manufacture products in a more sustainable manner.”

Based on results of a pilot program at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, BD believes that more than 70 percent of its overall sharps waste may ultimately be recovered and recycled rather than permanently disposed of in landfills.