Pasts, Presents, and Futures of Plastics in Medicine

At the 2025 European Association for the History of Medicine and Health (EAHMH) conference at the Humboldt University, Berlin, team members organised a panel titled: Pasts, Presents, and Futures of Plastics in Medicine.

The material culture of hospital medicine underwent a profound transformation in the 20th century. Once dominated by cotton, rubber, and steel, it is now largely defined by polycarbonate, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride plastics. This session explores the causes, consequences, and meanings of this shift, which has made medicine a major consumer of single-use items and a significant producer of medical waste. The rise of disposable medical products has reshaped hospital labour relations and infrastructures, increased dependence on global supply chains, and contributed to the growing environmental impact of healthcare, which now accounts for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions. Panelists will draw on their research into the material histories of common medical objects rendered disposable, using these case studies to explore broader questions about consumer culture in medicine, policymaking on environmental sustainability, and the evolving nature of medical care.

Read more about the panel in this blogpost by Eloïse and read the individual paper abstracts in our Resources section.