Outputs

At the International Research Culture Conference 2026, Dr Victoria Anker explored what happens when commitments to equitable partnership encounter the administrative, financial and governance infrastructures through which research is delivered. Her presentation considered how these everyday systems shape research culture—and whose values they reflect.

After the Single Use convened a diverse coalition of stakeholders at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) for a pivotal public lecture titled 'Rethinking Single-Use Plastics'. Organised in collaboration with the NIMR Amani Medical Research Centre, the event served as a critical platform to move beyond simply identifying the problem of medical waste. Instead, the lecture focused on actionable strategies to rethink healthcare systems for a more sustainable future, emphasizing the necessity of context-specific solutions that balance infection control with environmental responsibility.

Explore the creation of a 110-meter mural at Fann Hospital, Dakar, a collaborative initiative between the AtSU project, ENAMC students, and local artists. This report details how participatory art was used to translate research on biomedical waste into a powerful public awareness tool, fostering dialogue on health and environmental sustainability.

Jeremy Greene’s Sustainabil-ID presentation traced the historical rise of single-use plastics in healthcare and the emergence of incineration as a dominant approach to medical waste.

Millie Marriott Webb examined how ISO 13485 records detailed medical-device material information, while gaps in access limit its use for safety and sustainability.

Alice Street, Mary McPoland, Claire Lindsay and Maiwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas examined how plastic cassette housing became standard in lateral flow testing—and the histories that challenge its apparent necessity.

Dani Farrow traced how the loss of hospital sterilisation infrastructure has locked Scottish healthcare into dependence on single-use plastics.

Cat Acheson and Rob Ralston examined how plastics are being reframed as a human-health emergency within negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty.