Plastic

The project seeks to gain more basic knowledge of the recyclability of the plastic used in a medical context. By focusing on the particular context of 3D printed boluses for radiation therapy in cancer patients, the initiative will assess the influence of recycling processes and radiotherapy treatments on the structure and properties of the material (PLA, polylactic acid) before it is reused in treatment.

The project has three sub-objectives:

1. Determine the extent to which repeated shredding-extrusion-3D printing shaping affects the properties of PLA.
2. Determine the influence of radiation treatment (i.e., repeated application of high-energy photons or electrons) and the regular application of cleaning agents on the polymer’s properties.
3. Evaluate the combined effect of shaping and radiotherapy treatment on the recyclability of PLA.

This action research study is led in partnership with the consulting firm 5REDO, which has already created an in-house capacity to facilitate decision making and the assessment and analysis of scenarios with respect to mechanical and chemical recycling technologies, as well as the use of more sustainable plastic materials. But that capacity does not consider how consumers could contribute to recycling efforts.

The main objective of the partnership is to expand 5REDO’s capacity to consider and leverage consumer behaviours when developing circular solutions for plastic. The project will complement and broaden 5REDO’s expertise in the area through three key objectives:

1. Provide a comprehensive overview of how consumer engagement can be leveraged to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics.
2. Estimate the influence of internal and external consumer factors and their interactions to assess how consumers could be involved in initiatives to improve the end-of-life management of plastics.
3. Prospectively assess plastics flows in Canada to 2030 through different scenarios based on the influence of consumer behaviours and specific consumer engagement initiatives.