ENKORE

The healthcare sector has a significant impact on the environment, in terms of both resource use and waste generation. Medical devices, particularly single-use devices, and their packaging generate substantial amounts of waste, including plastics and hazardous materials that are challenging to manage. Applying ‘circular economy’ principles to the sector could reduce these impacts, but doing this is far from easy. Because medical devices are often used on or in the body, and must be sterile, there are very strict rules governing the kinds of materials that can be used to make them and their packaging. This makes it hard to use environmentally friendly materials, such as recycled materials, for example.

To address these environmental concerns, ENKORE seeks to develop an eco-design framework for single-use medical devices and their packaging. The project brings together experts from the healthcare, materials technology, and packaging sectors, along with healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and medical technology companies. By integrating sustainable practices into the design and manufacturing processes, the project aims to reduce the ecological footprint of medical devices, paving the way for a more environmentally responsible healthcare sector.

The ENKORE project will design and co-create a catalogue of key enabling materials (KEM) and key end-of-cycle sustainable solutions (KES). These will form the core of the eco-design framework. For the materials, the project will focus on innovative materials that would minimise waste, optimise resource usage and reduce the carbon footprint, while ensuring devices are safe for patients and have the mechanical and physical properties required of them to do their job. For end-of-cycle solutions, the project will collect sustainable solutions for both healthcare providers and people using devices in their own homes, for example.

The KES and KEM are intrinsically connected, as end-of-cycle factors significantly influence the selection of materials, while the end-of-cycle solutions must account for the materials used.

The project will also develop strategies to promote more effective waste management and circularity of medical devices at healthcare providers and in patients’ homes.

The project plans to test the eco-design framework through use cases in five regional healthcare systems across Europe. The use cases will cover a wide range of devices, packaging, and waste types, including drug injection devices; single-use products in dialysis; plastic and cellulose materials for packaging; and the management of waste (including contaminated waste) in hospitals.

Ultimately, ENKORE hopes its eco-design framework will accelerate innovation and support the delivery of products that are both safe for patients and environmentally responsible.