December 2023- Baxter International Inc., known for its contributions to infusion therapies and technologies, has completed the initial phase of an inventive intravenous (IV) bag recycling program in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine. The pilot, a first-of-its-kind in the U.S., has diverted more than six tons (12,000 pounds) of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) IV bag waste from landfills.
The collaboration between Baxter and Northwestern Medicine marks an important step toward sustainable healthcare practices. The pilot addresses the common practice of disposing of non-hazardous IV bags, typically made of PVC, as waste destined for landfills after draining residual fluid.
“Across the country, hundreds of thousands of IV bags are used every day. Baxter is a proud manufacturer and supplier of these bags, which are ubiquitous in hospital care—particularly single-use plastic containers that provide patients clinically essential solutions including fluids, nutrition and medicines,” said Cecilia Soriano, president of Baxter’s Infusion Therapies and Technologies division.
The collected PVC IV bags are transported to dedicated third-party logistics and recycling partners. These partners inspect and repurpose the bags into useful products, such as industrial floor mats and protective edging for docks and landscaping.
“We are proud to pilot this program with Baxter to be the first health system in the nation to begin recycling PVC IV bags,” said Jeff Good, Northwestern Medicine’s first chief sustainability executive and vice president of operations. “What started as a single-unit pilot is now standard....READ MORE
December 2023- Baxter International Inc., known for its contributions to infusion therapies and technologies, has completed the initial phase of an inventive intravenous...
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