DENVER—DaVita Inc. is working with WM Healthcare Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of Waste Management Inc., and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to launch a dialyzer recycling pilot in 106  of its dialysis clinics in Southern California.
This recycling pilot project is expected to be the first of its kind in North America, according to DaVita.
"We have the potential to offset 350,000 pounds of dialyzer waste in this trial alone, which is incredible because until now, there has not been a 'green' way to dispose of dialyzers or other medical waste," said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita. "This pilot program has the potential to change the landscape of sustainable health care, particularly in the dialysis industry, and we are excited to be at the forefront of it."
This dialyzer recycling pilot builds on business solutions developed by BD and WM through the BD ecoFinity Life Cycle Solution program, which DaVita is also launching in the 106 pilot facilities.
With the BD ecoFinity program, single-use medical sharps devices such as needles and syringes are collected on-site, then treated and processed by WM to recover reusable materials. BD then uses the recycled plastic to make new BD container products. The dialyzer recycling pilot follows a similar process: WM will treat and recover recyclable materials from the dialyzers, and then BD plans to use the recycled plastic to make new BD products or other applications, creating a closed-loop waste recovery solution of the recyclable materials.
"This collaboration exemplifies BD's commitment to provide comprehensive solutions that help our customers reduce their environmental impact," said Ranjeet Banerjee, vice president, BD Medical-Medical Surgical Systems. "As a leader in the medical technology industry, we continue to seek innovative sustainability solutions for our customers that do not compromise patient care or incur additional cost."
"WM's integrated environmental solutions increase value by managing materials more efficiently to help lower the costs for our health care customers, while maintaining safety and compliance standards," said Mike McInerney, vice president of Waste Management Healthcare Solutions. "We are pleased to be collaborating with BD and DaVita to move forward our shared vision of safety and sustainability."
