Medical packaging is often made from high-quality, recyclable materials—yet much of it ends up in the trash. While all packaging is technically recyclable, most packaging is not actually recycled. That’s because in order for packaging to be recovered and reprocessed, it must be accepted by the majority of municipal recycling programs, which typically only take materials with established end markets.
Recyclers need to process materials at a scale and cost that makes sense. This means the packaging must:
Be generated in large enough volumes in the waste stream
Be sortable using existing equipment at material recovery facilities (MRFs)
And be valuable enough in its recycled form to justify the expense of collection and processing
One example of successful integration is the inclusion of PET clamshells in the PET bottle recycling stream. This was only possible because stakeholders across the industry collaborated to ensure compatibility—like modifying label adhesives and simplifying designs to prevent contamination of the PET stream.
Why PETG Medical Packaging Isn’t Widely Recycled
PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified) is commonly used for rigid medical trays due to its clarity, toughness, and sterilization compatibility. However, unlike consumer packaging, PETG trays are used and discarded within hospitals—outside the traditional consumer recycling system.
On the surface, PETG trays seem ideal for recycling:
They are clean/sterile before use
Made from a single, high-value material
And used in centralized locations (like surgical suites or sterile processing departments)
But in practice, several barriers make recycling PETG medical trays challenging:
Bulky shape and rigid format take up valuable space in hospitals
Low volume per facility may not justify dedicated collection efforts
How to Integrate PETG Medical Packaging into Hospital Recycling Systems
Despite the challenges, there are promising strategies that could help bring PETG medical packaging into the recycling loop:
1. Use Uniform Materials: Encourage packaging suppliers to standardize materials—using clear, additive-free PETG—and avoid inks, coatings, or labels that hinder recycling.
2. Implement Source Separation: Design collection programs that allow staff to separate clean PETG trays at the point of use. Separate collection bins in ORs and sterile processing areas could make this practical and safe.
3. Compact for Collection: Hospitals can use small-scale balers or compactors to reduce the volume of collected trays, making storage and transport more efficient.
4. Create Regional Aggregation Hubs: If individual hospitals don’t produce enough volume, neighboring hospitals or clinics could pool their PETG waste through centralized drop-off points or third-party logistics partners.
5. Pilot Take-Back Programs: Medical packaging manufacturers can partner with healthcare facilities to test closed-loop recycling programs. These pilots can provide valuable data and prove the economic and environmental benefits of PETG recovery.
6. Educate Hospital Staff: Training and clear signage can help clinical staff identify which packaging is recyclable and how to properly dispose of it—boosting participation and reducing contamination.
Leveraging Material Consistency to Build a Recycling System
The widespread use of consistent, clean PETG trays in hospitals presents a unique opportunity to develop a viable recycling stream for medical packaging. The challenge isn’t the material—it’s the logistics of collection, storage, and transportation within complex healthcare environments.
To move forward, hospitals, recyclers, and packaging suppliers must collaborate to pilot scalable solutions that work within the constraints of clinical settings. By focusing on operational feasibility—like space-saving collection methods, staff engagement, and regional aggregation—healthcare facilities can begin to recover valuable materials that are currently landfilled.
As the industry moves toward more sustainable practices, PETG tray recycling could become a model for how healthcare packaging can support circularity without compromising safety or efficiency.
Interested in partnering on a pilot recycling program for PETG trays? Contact us to start the conversation.
About the author: Chandler Slavin-Bond worked to add PET thermoform packaging into the PET bottle recycling stream from 2011-2017. She worked with Walmart Canada, NAPCOR, APR, and more to establish and overcome the barriers to post-consumer thermoform recycling and was awarded three magazine cover stories for her efforts.