The Cardiff-based Thermal Compaction Group (TCG) has been Highly Commended for its work with a health trust in England after pioneering the recycling of medical waste wrap material to generate income for the NHS.
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TCG’s collaboration with the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust was Highly Commended for both the Estates & Facilities and Environmental Practice trophies at last week’s Health Business Awards in London, just weeks after the partnership won the Healthcare Estates Sustainable Achievement accolade.
TCG has developed a unique innovative sustainable recycling process addressing single use disposable plastics.
Single-use sterilisation wraps, used for surgical instruments in millions of operations in hospitals across the UK every year, and polypropylene patient transfer sheets create a large amount of bulky waste which goes for incineration or landfill nationwide. TCG is able to remove the materials from the waste stream, avoiding incineration, reducing the cost of transport, and creating value by returning it to the UK supply chain for use in new products – and now healthcare providers worldwide in countries as far afield as South Africa are adopting the technology.
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Chief Operating Officer at TCG is entrepreneur Thomas Davison-Sebry who said:
“Being recognised nationally for our partnerships with the NHS is terrific and raises the profile of this exciting and innovative technology which can bring such benefits to healthcare providers in the UK and across the world, addressing global waste management problems and contributing to the circular economy. In one easy operation, we can take the wrap as waste, reduce its volume substantially, render it inert and then re-introduce it to the supply chain, removing high incineration costs and creating revenues for a health service under persistent pressures.”
TCG employs globally pioneering and patented Sterimelt technology to offer a sustainable solution for the disposal of the single use plastic healthcare materials, using machines to heat the wraps at approximately 320°c to create inert, sterilised, briquettes which can be sold on to produce the likes of garden furniture, fences, buckets, plant pots, ropes and chairs.
The company and its Welsh NHS partner, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, had support from the Bevan Commission, tasked by the Welsh Government to help SMEs make health services improvements in Wales. The technology was successfully trialled at St Woolos Hospital, Newport, part of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.
TCG is also working with Styromelt technology to recycle polystyrene.
