Evidence-based Strategies to create Circular Hospitals: Applying the 10-Rs framework to healthcare (ESCH-R)

The healthcare sector is one of the most carbon-intensive sectors, contributing to 7% of emissions in the Netherlands and responsible for 13% of the national footprint of material extraction. In response, the Dutch government has called for more environmentally sustainable healthcare. Moreover, a growing number of healthcare professionals acknowledge that the culture of single use medical consumables in hospitals is not sustainable and advocate for a radical transition towards circularity in hospitals. The project ESCH-R addresses this challenge with its mission to accelerate the adoption of circular interventions in hospitals and thereby lower the ecological footprint of the healthcare sector. We aim to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based strategies for consumables in the transition of hospitals to become circular, applying the 10-Rs framework. This fits the NWA routes “Circular Economy” and "Healthcare research, prevention and treatment" and contributes to cluster questions 40, 52, 53 and 70.
Our research question is:
How can hospitals move away from single use medical consumables and make the transition towards circularity?
To answer this question, we will:
-Identify barriers and enablers towards circularity within the whole chain
-Co-design, validate & implement promising (evidence-based) solutions that are scalable to other hospitals globally
Together with relevant societal partners, our interdisciplinary team will develop circular, safe and scalable strategies through advancing scientific knowledge and models with insights from healthcare practice and sciences on mission driven innovation systems, environmental and economic impact of consumables, the design of innovative circular consumables and materials, behavioural aspects, circular business models, and purchasing and supply management strategies for circularity.
Moreover, we provide concrete advice on the changes in hospital culture and behaviour of professionals, and on how to upscale strategies for consumables towards an optimal use of materials. In the long-run, the ESCH-R project contributes to a sustainable and resilient health system.