Healthcare Environmental Footprint: Proposal to Deliver Sustainability through an Innovative Value Stream Using a Circular Economy Approach

Over the last 10 years, the most recent innovations in the field of organic chemistry have been significantly driven by both industry needs and environmental concerns. On the former, industrial applications and production processes have evolved to reduce carbon footprint and to reduce the reliance on oil-based organic material precursors. On the latter, increasing concerns around accelerated global warming, have kindled the search for solutions, including lower carbon footprint, recyclability, and upcycling of novel materials.

To 2015, the healthcare industry accounted for about 5.7% of the carbon emission with a severe impact in carbon, SO₂, Nitrogen and particulate matter. Specifically, what relates to greenhouses, the global contribution accounts to 24 Gton of CO₂, which has largely increased due the immense use of disposable devices during the pandemic. Current evidence points towards a substantial interest in the reduction of carbon footprint in the healthcare settings, yet with limited success across the largest health care providers. This study approaches the topic from a literature review and an empirical approach based on previous and ongoing research on the field of additive manufacturing and the use of bio-based materials for medical devices applications, which has been conducted utilizing mechanical, economic and microbiological assessments to address the research question of how to better address the carbon footprint of the healthcare industry, limited to some surgical procedures. This research points towards the direction that the implementation of an on-site solution may help to address some of the sustainability challenges healthcare facilities face while enhancing their circular economy approach. This research is intended to pave the way for further research including specific research to enhance the understanding of the solutions and how these may fit the current regulatory landscape.