Aim: To assess the full environmental implications of medical devices and healthcare products, from their creation to their disposal.
Methods:
- Life-cycle assessment
- Waste analysis
- Reprocessing strategies
- Carbon footprinting
- Environmental data management
Informs: Opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of medical devices and improving sustainability practices.
Benefits: Having an eco-friendly product can benefit HTA decisions, improve tender success, and contribute to corporate social responsibility.
Regulatory: Ensure compliance with legal frameworks and international guidelines such as EU Green Deal or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
Life-cycle assessment
Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) consider all inputs and outputs during the whole life cycle of a product to quantify the impact on the environment. This takes into account: raw materials for production, supply chain and logistics, and device use and maintenance, through to the final disposal of the product. The environmental impact can take many different forms, including CO2 emissions, carcinogenic effects, water, or land use. An LCA can identify the processes in a products life cycle that have the largest environmental implications. This knowledge can be used as a starting point for discussions around possibilities to reduce a products burden on the environment.
Waste analysis
The healthcare sector generates a significant amount of waste, particularly through disposable devices. Due to strict regulations, transformation to a more sustainable practice is challenging in this sector. A waste analysis can help you identify waste prevention potentials and can also be used to compare different products or services. A waste analysis can inform decision-making on the hospital or healthcare system level.
Further reading:
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment in Medical Practice: A User’s Guide. Link
The environmental footprint of health care: a global assessment. Link