Robust Recycling to Launch Government-Funded Pilot for Recycling Healthcare Flexible Plastic Packaging in British Columbia – Summer 2025

Funded by the Province of British Columbia and Alacrity Canada through the Ministry of Environment and Parks, the pilot supports Canada's Non-Residential Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) transition by tackling one of healthcare’s most complex waste streams: flexible medical packaging. The official funding announcement can be viewed on the government website, see appendix for the link [1].

“The Province's investment builds on Robust Recycling's proven track record of supporting BC's frontline healthcare workers implementing efficient recycling practices. This leadership approach, leveraging an already-successful model, positions the organization to create a system that can be implemented across Canada and has the potential to inspire similar practices in other industries where flexible packaging is prevalent” Sheila Molloy, Executive Director, Coast Waste Management Association

Photo credit: Robust Recycling; Medical Supply Flexible Packaging Recycling (MSFPR) Pilot project_ Funded by the Province of British Columbia and Alacrity Canada through the Ministry of Environment and Parks

Port Moody, BC – Robust Recycling, a leader in environmental solutions, is proud to announce the launch of a groundbreaking pilot project aimed at transforming the management of flexible medical packaging in healthcare facilities across British Columbia.

Launching in summer 2025, the Medical Supply Flexible Packaging Recycling (MSFPR) pilot will be the first of its kind in Canada to incorporate Robust Recycling’s proprietary Zero Contamination method—a revolutionary, IP-protected process developed in 2024 in direct response to concerns from BC’s frontline healthcare workers about efficient recycling practices. The initiative will focus on developing detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) tailored to typical healthcare settings.

“This initiative has the potential to transform how medical plastics are managed in Canada,” said Rose Alipour, BC Sales Support Manager, Circular Economy Department. “It’s a model thoughtfully designed from the ground up with both healthcare and recycling professionals in mind.”

The main drivers of this initiative are the low recycling rates for flexible packaging within the Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) waste management sector, as reported by the Canada Plastics Pact [2], and the national push for a greener healthcare system, aligned with the targets set by the Canadian Coalition for Green Healthcare [3].

Photo credit: Canada Plastics Pact-Progress Towards Targets (At-A-Glance) 2023-24: https://plasticspact.ca/annual-reports

MSFPR initiative brings together a coalition of leaders and organizations—including public, private, and community healthcare facilities; the Coast Waste Management Association (CWMA); the Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA); the Circular Innovation Council (CIC); educational institutions; and recycling partners—to support federal and provincial plastic waste reduction targets.

"As an organization dedicated to advancing the circular economy in Alberta, the Recycling Council of Alberta is pleased to see the launch of the MSFPR program, which addresses a key gap in the recyclability of materials within the health care sector. We look forward to the outcomes of this pilot and fully support Robust Recycling’s growth in Alberta and beyond." Jennifer Koole, Executive Director, Recycling Council of Alberta

Participating healthcare units will benefit from a comprehensive, full-service implementation managed by Robust Recycling’s experienced team. Services will include staff training, material collection, logistics coordination, and data analysis. Robust Recycling will also provide detailed diversion reports that can be integrated into each unit’s environmental sustainability reporting and support efforts toward achieving green healthcare accreditation.

Thanks to the support of the Honourable Rick Glumac, MLA for Port Moody–Burquitlam, this innovative project and its positive community impact were recently featured in the Tri-City Dispatch. The full article is available on the Tri-City Dispatch website [4].

Get Involved

To learn more about the pilot or explore a participation opportunity, please visit https://robustrecycling.ca/about or email MSFPR@robustrecycling.ca.

Appendix:

[1] BC Government News: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025ENV0019-000451

[2] Canada Plastics Pact-Progress Towards Targets (At-A-Glance) 2023-24: https://plasticspact.ca/annual-reports

[3] Canadian Coalition for Green Healthcare_ Launch of new national campaign to reduce/reuse plastics in health care: https://greenhealthcare.ca/launch-of-new-national-campaign-to-reduce-reuse-plastics-in-health-care/

[4] Tri-City Dispatch: https://tricitiesdispatch.com/robust-recycling/