REmedi

The remedy against disposable packaging in healthcare

Mouth masks, syringes, scissors, ... all disposable medical supplies in Belgian hospitals, care centres or pharmacies are encased in plastic packaging. This makes our healthcare system safe and sterile, but also generates a lot of plastic waste every year. In the REmedi project, UAntwerpen's REuse lab is investigating with a test case how it can redesign that single-use packaging into reusable alternatives.

The climate and good health are inextricably linked. If the environment deteriorates, it also has an impact on infectious diseases, heat waves and the number of depressions in our country. Although today there are no or few alternatives to disposable plastic packaging of medical materials. And so the plastic waste mountain and environmental impact remains large.

Case study with clinical trials
In the REmedi project, UAntwerpen's REuse Lab is therefore looking for alternatives to single-use plastics in healthcare institutions. As a case study, it will work with partners on single-use packaging for clinical trials. Manufacturers, suppliers, designers, researchers, ... are looking at existing packaging and reworking it into reusable variants. To see what works and what doesn't, a consortium implements those new packaging in practical tests. If that field test is successful, the REuse Lab will use the reusable packaging for a new oncology product.

Project reCURE and ‘Green deals’ as inspiration
Besides REmedi, more and more initiatives are emerging to green medical and pharmaceutical institutions. Just recently, UAntwerpen's REuse Lab successfully completed the reCURE project, where it researched the reusability of medical (textile) products, such as aprons and drapes. Besides inspiration, that research above all offered a useful roadmap for organisations in the medical sector.

Green deals such as Anders Verpakt and Duurzame Zorg are also making their mark in Belgium more than ever on environment-friendly packaging alternatives in hospitals, care centres and pharmacies.