There are few issues guaranteed to make environmentalists' blood boil quite like packaging and food waste. From single bananas in plastic wrapping to giant bags of produce that spoil within days, packaging and food waste remain one of the most visible symbols of resource inefficiency and a source of deep frustration for green campaigners and mainstream shoppers alike.

The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) appointed Kaiser Permanente and Stanford University Medical Center to its Healthcare Facility Advisory Board to help the council set priorities and steer the agenda towards its mission of inspiring and enabling sustainable, cost-effective recycling solutions for plastic products and materials used in the delivery of healthcare.