New report highlights practical steps to cut single-use medical technology waste across Public Health Wales
Researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University have identified significant opportunities to reduce avoidable single-use medical technology waste across Public Health Wales, helping support the NHS’s transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon future.
The findings are outlined in a new report, Design for Life: Assessing Opportunities for Circular and Low-Carbon Medical Technologies in Public Health Wales, produced by the Circular Economy Innovation Communities (CEIC) team at Cardiff Met.
The report examines how circular economy principles could be applied safely and effectively within healthcare settings, exploring opportunities to reduce waste, improve procurement practices and lower carbon emissions associated with commonly used medical and laboratory products.
The researchers conclude that Public Health Wales has a significant opportunity to support the transition towards a more circular healthcare system through a combination of procurement reform, targeted pilot projects, improved waste management and closer collaboration with suppliers.
Healthcare is estimated to account for between 4 and 5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with procurement, supply chains and single-use products among the sector’s largest environmental impacts. In Wales, procurement accounted for around 62 per cent of NHS Wales’ carbon footprint in 2018/19.
The Cardiff Met research focused on five widely used product groups within Public Health Wales: pipette tips and boxes, petri dishes, endoscopic devices, bijou vials, and inoculating loops and needles.
The researchers found that while some healthcare waste must continue to be managed through specialist disposal routes due to infection prevention and patient safety requirements, there are opportunities to reduce unnecessary waste where clinically appropriate and better segregation of healthcare waste could help ensure lower-risk materials are not unnecessarily sent to high-carbon disposal routes, reducing both environmental impacts and costs.
The report also found that refillable laboratory systems could provide a relatively low-risk route to reducing plastic consumption without disrupting laboratory workflows.
The research also highlights procurement as one of the most powerful levers for change. Once laboratory equipment and supplier contracts are established, organisations can become locked into specific consumables, packaging systems and purchasing models. The report argues that sustainability and circular economy criteria should be embedded into procurement decisions from the outset.
Dr Gary Walpole, Director of CEIC, said:
“Healthcare faces a unique sustainability challenge because patient safety, diagnostic quality and regulatory compliance must always come first. Our research shows there are meaningful opportunities to reduce avoidable waste and emissions, but any circular solutions must be implemented in ways that are safe, practical and supported by robust evidence.
“Better procurement decisions, improved waste segregation, closer collaboration with suppliers and greater staff engagement can all play an important role in reducing environmental impacts while maintaining the high standards expected across healthcare services.”
Read the full report: https://doi.org/10.25401/cardiffmet.33143720