PRINC Joins Forces with Academic and Environmental Organizations to Drive Medical Material Management under Circular Economy Principles

The collaboration aims to develop a sustainable approach for managing medical materials made of PVC (non-infectious) after use, through recycling processes. This initiative is guided by the concept of "Reducing Pollution, Combating Global Warming, Creating Added Value for Sustainability."

This collaboration focuses on reducing the growing amount of hospital waste, particularly from medical materials and during the outbreak of new diseases. By integrating non-infectious PVC materials, such as nasal oxygen tubes, oxygen masks, and IV bags, into the circular economy, the initiative will help reduce environmental impacts while adding value to materials that were once considered waste. This will be achieved through a process of sorting, sterilizing, and cleaning, before sending the materials to recycling plants for reprocessing and shaping into new products, such as shower curtains, rubber sheets for bed covers, and bags, among others.

Dr. Krittavith Lertutsahakul, Chairman and Managing Director of PRINC Capital Public Company Limited, stated that patient care and community service units require the use of many medical tools, some of which are disposable, such as PVC or plastic. In the past, managing infectious waste and leftover materials often incurred transportation and energy costs. However, by applying recycling processes in conjunction with developed technologies and cooperation from partners, it will help reduce waste and allow these materials to be reused. PRINC Hospital Suvarnabhumi, a member of PRINC Healthcare, and PRINC Capital Public Company Limited (PRINC) have become the first private hospital to pilot a project for sorting and recycling non-infectious PVC plastic waste to ensure efficient and environmentally friendly medical waste management. Some of these materials are already being reused, and it is believed that, in the future, the efficiency of reuse can be further increased. This collaboration will help transform medical waste that was once discarded into valuable resources, reduce environmental impacts, and serve as a model for other organizations to adopt and expand the initiative.

Professor Pramoch Rangsunvigit Ph.D., Dean of the Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University, added that having an effective waste management system will help reduce environmental impacts efficiently. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to involve the college in this project and was pleased to see the collaboration expanding from public hospitals to the first private hospital. While waste management is just one part of the project, if it expands widely, it will serve as a model to push society in a better direction, especially the recycling of non-infectious PVC plastic waste, which can create more value and benefits than simply incinerating it. He thanked the partners and all team members and hoped the project would be successful and that future collaborations would continue to grow.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Manit Nithithanakul, President of the Plastic Waste Research Group, Hub of Waste Management for Sustainable Development, Chulalongkorn University, expressed that the Hub focuses on building a collaborative network and integrating technologies for waste management, with support from the National Research Council of Thailand. The Hub’s operations cover waste management in four main categories: community waste, industrial waste, medical waste, and plastic waste. He thanked the partners and the team for the opportunity to participate in this project and hoped that this collaboration would lead to tangible success for a better environment in Thailand and the world.

Mr. Apichai Charoensuk, Vice Chairman of the ASEAN Vinyl Council Association, expressed his pleasure in signing the MOU with PRINC, the first private hospital to collaborate with the ASEAN Vinyl Council Association, the Hub of Waste Management for Sustainable Development, and the Petroleum and Petrochemical College of Chulalongkorn University. “This as a significant step in promoting sustainability. In the past, there were concerns about plastic bag usage, but the key issue now is the proper and efficient management of waste. I am pleased to see hospitals implementing effective sorting and recycling systems for medical waste and hopes that this project will grow and expand in a positive direction for a sustainable future,” he said.

This collaboration agreement marks a significant step in advancing the management of PVC-based medical materials and lays the foundation for effective and sustainable hospital waste management. It aims to reduce environmental impacts while promoting the circular economy. PRINC Capital Public Company Limited, as the operator of private hospital management and healthcare businesses under the PRINC Healthcare group, is committed to conducting business alongside caring for people, communities, and society. The company will continue to push forward environmentally friendly projects to maximize benefits for the healthcare system and society as a whole.