A Review of Recycled Polymers in Low-Risk Medical Applications

The National Health Service in the UK produces approximately 133,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year, but less than 5% is recycled (Xiaocheng Hu, et al., 2022). Therein, large amounts of medical waste, which contains recyclable polymers like polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polylactic acid (PLA), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), are commonly used in single-use or multi-use medical devices but are often sent for energy recovery (incineration) due to biological contamination and system limitations (Czuba, 2014).

This review provides a foundation for advancing the use of recycled thermoplastics in low-risk medical applications. Evaluating both material performance and the perceptual challenges that influence stakeholder acceptance highlights the dual importance of technical validation and communication strategy. The findings will inform upcoming ethics-approved focus groups and support the development of service design strategies that integrate additive manufacturing and circular economy principles into sustainable healthcare delivery.