Sharps Compliance Corp. (Nasdaq:SMED) announced today that it has launched its TakeAway Recycle System (“the System”) designed for the safe collection, return transportation and recycling of single use medical devices (“SUDs”). 

Healthcare facilities are looking for alternatives to the traditional practice of reprocessing SUDs which has been shown to potentially increase the risk of patient infections and malfunctioning devices. Other disadvantages of reprocessed SUDs include:

SUDs are not manufactured for reuse

Reprocessed SUDs are often disassembled and some parts are exchanged, which can compromise the functionality of the devices and potentially result in a device with uncertain performance; and

Materials used in SUDs are commonly plastic or a combination of metals and plastic; materials that may be difficult to sterilize and reuse without causing changes which may result in the inability to validate the device for reuse.

Virtually all SUDs are composed of materials that can be recycled and the TakeAway Recycle System ensures that all of the collected materials are processed down to their basic commodities. SUDs that were previously destined for reprocessing, the landfill, or the medical waste bin are shipped via common carrier to Sharps’ permitted facility for recycling.

The TakeAway Recycle System is compliant with DOT, OSHA and Joint Commission, and includes collection containers that can be used in either the operating room or the sterile processing department (SPD). When the System reaches the Sharps facility, devices are decontaminated following all applicable safety standards and routed to the proper recycler.  Plastics are treated with Sharps’ patent-pending Waste Conversion Process™ and the end product is designed to be used to generate electricity.  Batteries and electronics are recovered and processed by certified recyclers.  Hardware and other metals are recovered and processed by recycling facilities for reuse as raw material.  Customers receive a certificate of recycling confirming the proper recycling of the SUDs. 

David P. Tusa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sharps Compliance commented, “As with all of our solutions, the TakeAway Recycle System is designed to solve a problem for the customer or improve operational efficiencies in a cost-effective manner.  The healthcare industry reached out to us to design a system in light of the many concerns surrounding potential safety and other issues associated with the use of reprocessed SUDs, including the potential risk of patient infection and the possible malfunction of reused SUDs.  We believe our TakeAway Recycle System provides a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to SUD reprocessing while eliminating the risk of infection to the patient and associated potential liability to the healthcare facility.  Our target market includes surgery centers, outpatient surgery facilities, and hospitals, providing an excellent cross-selling opportunity for our route-based medical waste management services and other solution offerings.”

For more information, www.sharpsinc.com/recycle-sud.