Zach Muscato, Director of Sustainability and Innovation, Plastic Ingenuity
Hello, I’m Zach Muscato with Plastic Ingenuity. I’m our Director of Sustainability and Innovation, and I also have the pleasure of serving on the Executive Committee of HPRC.
How long have you been involved in HPRC?
Plastic Ingenuity has been a member of HPRC for about four years now, and it’s been a great experience. It’s a very special organization to be part of. Working together with the entire value chain of healthcare plastics has been rewarding, challenging, and a lot of fun.
Is there a specific project that you are most proud of?
I’ve worked on the advanced recycling initiatives that HPRC has undertaken over the past couple of years. We’ve been collecting plastics from hospitals and sending them to advanced recyclers for trial testing. It’s widely known as the longest-running project in HPRC history—and for good reason.
It’s been very complex, and we’ve gained a lot of valuable insights that will hopefully benefit the industry.
What value does HPRC bring to your organization?
HPRC brings tremendous value to our organization. Working arm-in-arm with other members of the value chain—from customers to competitors—has helped us tackle the common challenges we all face. We need to figure out how to do a better job recycling healthcare plastics, and together, we’re going to make that possible.
How do you see technology and innovation playing a role in the future of healthcare plastics recycling?
Technology and innovation are critical to building a better future for healthcare plastic recycling. From sortation technologies that help us better separate these valuable materials, to novel and advanced recycling methods that go beyond conventional approaches—these innovations will open new doors, improve the economics, and make this effort viable and sustainable for the future.