The E In ESG: Does PVC Have A Future In Health Care’s Circular Economy?

Compatibility Of The Polymer’s Use With Green Aims Is Hotly Debated

11 Oct 2022

PVC, the most used polymer in the manufacture of single-use medical devices, has always been a target for the environmental lobby. The rise of the green agenda has heightened sensitivities further still. Europe’s PVC MedAlliance aims to show how the substance can fit into sustainability programs.

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The use of PVC, polyvinyl chloride, for medical applications has often been controversial. Many polymers are used in the manufacture of medical devices, such as tubing, blood bags and oxygen masks, and PVC is the most used, based on a combination of its low cost and its technical properties.

Around 30% of single-use medical devices are manufactured using PVC, a substance that offers versatility, chemical stability and biocompatibility, says...