In terms of medical applications, PET may not be the most ideal material, including medical instruments. But in terms of medical device packaging, this is the most perfect plastic. Scott Steele, President of Plastic Technologies Inc., said so at the Society of Plastic Engineers Medical Plastics MiniTec held recently in Gunny.
He pointed out:; PET has various excellent characteristics, such as high clarity and strength, and is also easy to process& Rdquo;
Steele stated that hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry have established good recycling systems, and packaging made of PET is easy to recycle. The materials that re enter the market are also very clean and of high grade.
&Ldquo; By properly recycling the packaging of medical devices, we can obtain anything we need; He said," The factors that promote recycling include the consistency of raw material supply and demand and the promotion of the commodity market& Rdquo;
These factors exist in the medical device packaging market, and without any regulatory issues, PET has a long history of existence. Although this material has been widely used in various fields and is easy to recycle, its recovery rate is still only around 30%, in stark contrast to the 60% recovery rate of aluminum.
Steele said that the key to maintaining maximum value in this market is to make it as simple as possible. In the healthcare industry, whether it is disposable packaging or reusable packaging, PET should be used as the raw material, but it is not just that.
&Ldquo; If you want to use PET as a packaging material in medical equipment, I strongly recommend that you maintain the purity of PET as much as possible. Because this can maximize the recovery of PET; Steele said," PET and PVC mixtures are a very poor combination, and if mixed together, the performance of both materials will degrade. They can be separated, which is good news. But if not mixed, there is no need for separation during recycling, which would be better& Rdquo;
PET can be made into high-value products, so the PET market is far better than the PS and PVC markets.
He pointed out that in addition to the traditional PET market, the bio based PET market is also emerging, and bio based PET can also be used for packaging. The Coca-Cola Company's“ Plant Bottle; That confirms this point& Ldquo; PET materials with unique properties are constantly emerging; Steele said," If you haven't utilized them yet, perhaps you can start thinking& Rdquo;
The recycling process of medical packaging materials is simple, which is a major opportunity provided by the industry to make PET an ideal material. (From Plastic News Network)
