A New Medtech Mantra: Safe, Effective, and SustainableA New Medtech Mantra: Safe, Effective, and Sustainable

Advancing sustainability in medical plastics requires partnerships across the supply chain, according to Prent Corp.’s Don Handrow.

Norbert Sparrow

January 30, 2025

3 Min Read
Don Handrow, Prent Corp.
Canva

Medical devices need to be safe and effective, but increasingly they need to check the sustainability box, as well. At the MiniTec conference, presented by the Medical Plastics Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) in Anaheim, CA, advancing sustainability in medical plastics will be front and center during an afternoon session on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.

Don Handrow of Prent Corp., a supplier of thermoforming services to medical device OEMs, will participate in a panel discussion addressing how medical device manufacturers can collaborate with their supply chain partners to move the needle on sustainable practices. Handrow shared some of his insights with PlasticsToday ahead of the conference.

Handrow advocates for a multi-pronged approach to drive effective change in sustainable practices while maximizing value in medical packaging. “Patient safety is the foremost important item for us and our customers,” said Handrow. When it comes to sustainability initiatives, though, companies that are new to the game should start by doing little things, he added. “Those little things start to add up and you make inroads to much greater sustainability goals than you might have realized even just a few years ago,” said Handrow, vice president of product development at Prent Corp.

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One low-hanging fruit in sustainability initiatives is transportation, according to Handrow. “Transportation is an easy win if you have the manufacturing capabilities to be where your customers are. Regulatory challenges make right-shoring more difficult than it needs to be at times. If a supplier has the quality and manufacturing capabilities to qualify more than one location, it is best to do it upfront from day one.

Partnering across the supply chain is an effective way to advance sustainability objectives, stressed Handrow, but it also reaps other benefits. The “push and pull” between Prent and sheet extruder Goex Corp. provides a tangible example. “In order to stay relevant, you push your suppliers. We challenge each other all of the time with great material solutions evolving out of industry needs. In addition, through collaboration and information sharing, you stand a good chance to condense regulatory approvals, which often take longer than they should,” said Handrow.

Working collaboratively and incrementally to achieve sustainability goals will be the overarching message Handrow wants to impart to attendees of the session, he told PlasticsToday. “Start now with your sustainability initiatives. Do the little things now, and they will add up to big things in the future. And be sure to do your research — pick suppliers that meet your operational, quality, and sustainability goals.  Being the best supplier possible is hard work, but it’s well worth it,” added Handrow.

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Handrow will be participating in a panel discussion titled, Sustainability of Medical Polymers Throughout the Product Lifecycle, on Monday, Feb. 3, at 2:15 PM, at the MiniTec conference in the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. The panelists also include Amanda Cunningham, vice president of graphic sales at Goex Corp., an extruder of plastic sheets; Henry Zhang of plastics processing equipment manufacturer Husky Technology; and consultant Len Czuba. Hosted by the Medical Plastics Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers, MiniTec (Feb. 3 and 4) runs alongside MD&M West, also at the Anaheim Convention Center, from Feb. 4 to 6.

About the Author

Norbert Sparrow

Editor in chief of PlasticsToday since 2015, Norbert Sparrow has more than 20 years of editorial experience in business-to-business media. He studied journalism at the Centre Universitaire d'Etudes du Journalisme in Strasbourg, France, where he earned a master's degree. Reach him at [email protected].

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