Blog posts tagged ‘healthcare waste’

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A researcher lays out the many components of a seemingly simple single-use jacket.
26 Jun 2025

Deconstructing Devices: Uncovering the Plastics Behind Medical Innovation

Peeling back the layers of medical devices, this hands-on workshop revealed the hidden complexity - and environmental cost - of plastics in modern healthcare. What lies beneath matters.
Examples of six different lateral flow tests

Mass of components and material distribution in lateral flow assay kits

Academic publications

With over 2 billion tests yearly, lateral flow kits generate 16,000 tonnes of plastic waste. This study highlights reducing plastic use, informing policy, product design, and packaging to lessen the environmental impact.
Broken syringe and pill bottle on a beach

Health is the new Global Plastics Treaty Battleground

Media items

Plastics pose serious health risks, yet industry influence is weakening the Global Plastics Treaty commitments. A strong, binding Article 19 is essential to protect public health and ensure the treaty delivers real change.
A close up of discarded and compressed plastic medical waste

Why medical products must not be excluded from the Global Plastics Treaty

Academic publications

The proposed exemption of medical plastics from the Global Plastics Treaty risks undermining health and environmental protections, ignoring harmful impacts, and prioritizing commercial interests over sustainable, safe, and equitable health care.
A nurse disposes of a single-use malaria test

Diagnostic waste: whose responsibility?

Academic publications

Diagnostic waste from single-use tests poses serious environmental and health risks in low-resource settings. Responsibility must shift from under-resourced governments to manufacturers, integrating waste management into diagnostic design and global health policy.
A close up of discarded syringes and medical waste

How medicine becomes trash: disposability in health care

Academic publications

Modern health care’s reliance on disposable equipment contributes significantly to climate change. This wasteful practice, driven by fear and efficiency – not necessity – undermines sustainability and demands a return to reusable alternatives.
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