Developing a process to effectively reclaim and recycle silicone from used HealthTech and medical devices.

The Net Zero Catalyst Fund is supporting Oshun Labs Ltd. to find innovators who can provide a solution to reclaim and recycle silicone from used HealthTech and medical devices in an efficient and effective manner. The solution process will need to include the identification, recovery, and recycling of silicone from used FemTech devices to a useable second life state.

Opportunity

Challenge opens

03/04/2024

Challenge closes

08/05/2024

Benefit

The Net Zero Catalyst Fund is an Innovate UK Innovation Exchange (iX) competition which makes available grant funding for a series of Net Zero iX challenges (up to £25,000 per challenge partnership). Please note that, in accordance with the iX process, all funding will be directed to solution providers. For this challenge, the selected applicant will have the opportunity to collaborate directly with the challenge holder, implementing their innovative solution. Additionally, they will gain access to grant funding of up to £25,000 to support their project.

The Challenge

Silicone is extensively utilized in HealthTech and medical devices, yet its ability to be recycled poses challenges due to its size, bodily contact and product classification as clinical or offensive waste. With silicone usage becoming widespread, and the associated significant risks of plastic waste and pollution increasing, there is a growing demand for recycling solutions.

The project will therefore explore and develop a process to reclaim and recycle silicone from used female healthtech and medical devices, including but not limited to breast pumps, menstrual cups and pelvic floor devices to name a few. It will need to consider how to efficiently and effectively:

Identify the correct materials
Strip these out from used devices
Recycle the silicone to give this waste material a new and useful second life.

The solution provider will also need to consider how to navigate ‘clinical’ or ‘offensive’ waste status of some (not all) used devices through deep cleaning, sterilisation or other techniques.
The project will draw on complementary work on breast pump recycling and aims to have a process that can be piloted on a selection of used devices in approximately 12-18 months.
Selected solution(s) will be trialled in pilot studies, with the possibility of further research or co-development with the challenge holder upon successful trials.

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