Plastics waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the healthcare sector are growing each year and could rise by 35-40% by 2040, pushing costs for health systems in Europe and North America above $76bn. This startling prospect, presented in a report by Systemiq and Eunomia (A Prescription for Change: Rethinking plastics use in healthcare to reduce waste, GHG emissions and costs), reflects the increasing demand for single-use plastics in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare settings.

The latest article, featured in Plastics Recycling World magazine (Jan/Feb 2026), reports on developments in recycling medical devices and packaging and the partnerships between industry and hospitals.

Read the full article here: Medical matters: PVC and polyolefins recycling