Medical Waste : Thermal Compaction Group offers waste solution for medical gear
Thermal Compaction Group (TCG) has signed off on its first export deal to Australia and Canada.
The sustainable green manufacturer is set on tackling the global personal protective equipment (PPE) waste problem.
Manufactured from single-use plastics, PPE encompasses surgical masks, medical gowns, face shields, safety glasses, protective aprons, plastic shoes and gloves, amongst other things.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 1,6 million tonnes of plastic were generated globally, according to a study (‘Covid pollution: impact of Covid-19 pandemic on global plastic waste footprint’) conducted in February 2021.
Welsh green business Thermal Compaction Group was one of the first manufacturers to develop a recycling solution for this burgeoning issue.
The company’s ‘Sterimelt’ device thermally compacts polypropylene at 350°C and re-engineers it so that it can be used to produce new virgin plastics. Having been rolled out to hospital trusts across England and Wales, TCG is now looking to expand to international markets.
Australian waste management firm 180 Waste Group as well as Vancouver based Alternative Recycling and Advanced Extraction Systems are set to receive over a 100 of the devices in question. These waste management companies will then distribute the product across the health and social care sectors in both regions.
TCG has plans to expand its operation across Europe as well as dip its toe into the African market as well.
“As both an innovator and manufacturer, we are continually working on new developments and ways to provide solutions to the global waste issue currently facing us. Exporting our equipment will exponentially increase the recovery of single use plastics worldwide and therefore help the planet, whilst supporting the adoption of ‘resource recovery’ solutions for the world”, Matthew Rapson, TCG Managing Director, said.
The Welsh Economy Minister Vaughan Gething lauded TCG for its efforts in the fight against the pandemic related plastic waste crisis.
“As a government, we want to build a stronger, greener economy here in Wales. In our ambitious five-year programme for government, we have a clear focus on sustainability and developing the industries of the future. So it’s great to see a Welsh business like TCG starting to export its recycling equipment, which could help solve a real and growing global waste problem resulting from the pandemic.”
The Welsh Government’s 5-Year-Plan includes commitments towards a single-use plastic ban, a new infrastructure plan for a zero-carbon economy as well as a Clean Air Act. It specifically applies to the transport, planning, housing and energy sector and the ways it intersects and correlates to the country’s environmental and climate agenda.