In a fast-moving, understaffed crisis, medical facilities produce lots of items that may not be easily recyclable. Remanufacturing and circular economy experts are anticipating an increased need for recycling, writes Supply Chain Dive (June 10, 2020). Some are targeting the healthcare sector specifically while others think the coronavirus crisis highlights how essential recycling and reuse can be for other industries struggling to cope with ruined supply chains. All this upheaval could reveal how circularity may serve everyone better than pre-pandemic protocol did.
Stunted (or overwhelmed) supply chains partially explain why “reuse” has become integral to coping with this pandemic. “Anytime there’s a resource-constrained situation, it’s important to extend the lifespan of products,” says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an organization that works with businesses to help them pursue circular economy practices. For example, mask shortages prompted interest in sanitizing N95 masks with vaporized hydrogen peroxide.
There will be plenty of remanufacturing needs once the pandemic is over. Many ventilators made for desperate hospitals will get put in storage, for example, and someone will have to figure out how to keep them in good condition in case the machines need to get rolled out again.
Pressure comes as recycling access in the U.S. has deteriorated in certain ways, and the balance between reuse and disposal could shift in a post-pandemic world. Single-use items, like the stretchy plastic gloves that gum up recycling facilities, could boom when people are hyper-concerned about sanitation.
Reuse might be a future need in some industries — but others have to adopt its companion, recycling, even more quickly. Paper mills that produce packaging for General Mills, Pillsbury and other food suppliers still need raw materials to meet customer demand and higher grocery store sales. Residents are also moving forward with at-home construction projects, and regional suppliers of plastic or wood-composite lumber still need those supplies. Recycling fills those supply chain needs, and importantly, keeps paper mills and other manufacturing facilities open.
Classroom discussion questions:
- What is the “circular economy”? (Hint: See Supp. 5 of your Heizer/Render/Munson OM text)
- Why has recycling “deteriorated in certain ways”?