Taking sustainability of cardiac catheterization to the next level: the Hartplastic showcase

Reducing the environmental impact of healthcare is paramount to achieving zero-emission healthcare services. Considering the increasing amount of waste that is produced by cardiac procedures, we aimed to investigate whether plastic waste from these procedures could be recycled and repurposed into new medical instruments. To facilitate this process, the HartPlastic Foundation was established for research and awareness purposes.

Primarily, the non-contaminated materials found in medical packaging were separated, identified, and rated based on suitability for recycling. Glycolized polyethylene terephthalate (PET-G) was found to be the most promising material, which comprised roughly 10% of plastic waste.

In a process that involved cleaning, shredding, drying, spooling, and 3D-printing, PET‑G was then repurposed into different products, such as bed hooks that could be used in the catheterisation laboratory, and a flashlight that could be used by nurses on night shifts.

These results could help reduce the environmental impact of procedures in the catheterisation laboratory by providing a locally scalable recycling process for medical waste to help reach the goal of zero healthcare-related carbon emissions.