Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, an integral part of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, is spearheading an effort to combat plastic waste at the hospital through its collaboration with the ReCap Project. This partnership focuses on transforming medical plastic waste into valuable products, promoting environmental sustainability within health care settings.
Central to this effort is the hospital’s Sustainability Program and its ECO–Green teams, featuring committed members such as Karen Ceresnak, RN, pediatric ICU nurse. Operating from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and across hospital units, the ECO teams collect controlled medication caps, insulin needle caps, and section regulators—gathering over 16 pounds of plastic waste each quarter.
“Our team diligently handles, processes, and collects medical supply caps to ensure that they are clean and safe before distributing them to the ReCap Project,” explains Ceresnak. “This way, we can confidently contribute to sustainability while prioritizing health and safety.”
The ReCap Project, led by the 16-year-old Brandon Lin, a student at Aragon High School, was initially inspired by a friend’s Eagle Scout project. The project has grown significantly since its inception. “We collect clean needle safety caps from hospitals like Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, vaccine clinics, medical offices, and pharmacies,” he said. “These plastics are then separated by color and shredded into fine pieces, eventually transformed into everyday items.” The resulting products, such as picture frames and clipboards, are returned to health care providers, completing a harmonious reuse cycle. Brandon’s project also donates recycled plastic combs every month to non-profit organizations in his community.
Over two years, Packard Children’s has donated more than 100 pounds of small caps to the ReCap Project, enough to create durable products like picnic benches and raised garden beds. “With over 1 million pieces of plastic diverted from landfills, collaborations like this one exemplify how health care institutions can develop innovative environmental solutions,” said Lin. Brandon hopes to extend his collaboration with Stanford Medicine outpatient clinics to broaden the project’s reach and amplify its impact.
By turning waste into opportunity, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health is forging a path to sustainable health care practices, with an aim to reduce emissions operations by 50% by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2050.
“Witnessing the transformation of medical waste into useful items has been enlightening,” said Ceresnak. “Together with our health care teams and greater community, we’re fostering a greener, healthier future—one needle cap at a time.”
