Plastics

P7: Holistic Infrastructure for the recycling of Medical Devices

P7: HOLIMED

Project Period: February 2025 – January 2027

Project Status: In Progress  Pool: TRACE Pool 3

Lead: Danish Technological Institute

HOLIMED is a strategic initiative aimed at developing a circular economy infrastructure for the recycling of plastics from hazardous hospital waste. The project addresses behavioral change, advanced tracking and decontamination technologies, as well as legislative barriers. The goal is to create a scalable blueprint for sustainable waste management in the healthcare sector.

Project Partners: Danish Technological Institute, Roskilde University, Copenhagen Business School, Zirq Medical A/S, Letbek A/S, Central Denmark Region, Johnson & Johnson, AMBU A/S, Resourcify GmbH, MICollect ApS

Project results: Input to EU Circular Economy Act

Facilitate transboundary movement of waste destined for recycling

Current EU waste regulations make it easier to dispose of medical devices than to recycle them, hindering the shift from a linear to a circular economy. The project consortium has summarized the current situation and suggest initiatives to enable a viable circular alternative. The suggestion has been submitted as input to the EU Circular Economy Act. 

To enable circularity of complex multi-component items like medical devices the consortium partners  recommend:
• Fair and proportional rules so recycling is not disadvantaged against disposal.
• Introduce a fast-track Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure for shipments destined for certified recycling hubs, so materials for recycling are not unnecessarily delayed by regulations designed for disposal.
• Recognize the circular economy purpose of these shipments in national and EU permit procedures to reduce administrative burden while maintaining full safety compliance.
• Ensure harmonization of national waste shipment regulations within the EU.

For more information find the input document her: 

Input Til EU Circular Economy Act Fra TRACE Projekt Holimed

 

 

Project Leader

Søren Haack

Mail: sorh@teknologisk.dk

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