BD, one of the world’s largest sharps and syringe manufacturers, and Waste Management plan a joint venture to recycle medical sharps waste from hospitals.

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.

This is a particularly interesting development, that raises a number of interesting possibilities. Not only would it ensure compliance with new legislation in some US States that requires sharps manufacturers to take responsibility for their disposal – something that actually was intended to provide schemes to manage sharps from domestic producers – but it is likely to provide a tie-in to syringe & needle supply that may be restrictive and even in breach of competition rules.

What happens to waste not comprising BD products? Does this attract a premium price intended to ‘encourage’ purchasers toward a single supplier, or is this truly an option without strings. I doubt the resale value of treated wastes alone would support a satisfactory financial model, particularly if contaminated with substantial volumes of extraneous plastics or metals of different types and grades. It is probable therefore that the tie-in might indeed be tight, if not restrictive as these companies seek only the lowest fruits. That leaves others to manage the remainder, that will be disproportionately expensive if not wholly uneconomic.

It is difficult to see how this model would work in UK markets, particularly against fierce competition from Sharpsmart, but there does seem reason to look toward far closer collaboration between manufactuers or distributors or single use medical and related products including syringes and needles, and the disposal sector. BioBin have done just that, carving out a successful segment by matching low-cost waste containers with laboratory consumables. Others should be looking to cut themselves a piece of this relatively new commercial model. Collaboration with disposables manufacturers may be one option.

An alternative may be collaboration with equipment cleaning and decontamination service providers, to deliver a joined-up waste and hygiene service for smaller healthcare providers, care homes etc, and making best use of vehicle movements for collections and returns.

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