RESEARCHERS at Heriot-Watt University have been awarded a prestigious APEX Award to lead a groundbreaking project aimed at tackling the environmental impact of single-use diagnostic devices in healthcare.
Plastics and other materials used in diagnostic health technologies such as Covid-19, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy tests, are among the largest sources of medical waste worldwide.
The new project, titled Diagnostic Discard: exploration of material values in the point-of-care diagnostic sector, will explore why certain materials are favoured and where sustainable alternatives could reduce waste.
The two-year study is a collaboration between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, led by Professor Maiwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas, from Heriot-Watt’s school of engineering and physical sciences. She is joined by Dr Claire Lindsay, an expert in medical supply chains at Heriot-Watt, and Professor Alice Street, professor of anthropology and health at the University of Edinburgh.
Professor Kersaudy-Kerhoas said, “There are billions of single-use diagnostic devices discarded every year. This creates a significant environmental burden that compounds the growing medical waste issue. Our project aims to understand how these material choices are made, and how we can shift towards more sustainable alternatives.
“Contrary to a widely believed myth in the industry, there is no regulation that prevent the use of recycled or biobased materials in the manufacture of medical devices.
“Materials are currently selected for reason well beyond purely function or manufacturability, but because the material feels good in someone’s hand or even a type of plastic looks whiter than another.
“What our work aims to identify are the values placed in these materials, what alternative exists and how viable they are.”
The research team will work with industry partners including Accubio, Global Access Diagnostics (GADx), BBI, and the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI). By interviewing manufacturers and regulators, the team hopes to uncover the underlying reasons behind material selection, ranging from regulatory standards to surprisingly subjective factors such as appearance and feel.
Backed by £199,905 in funding from the Leverhulme Trust, the APEX Award will also support an international exhibition on diagnostic waste, which will be touring in Australia, this November.
Professor Kersaudy-Kerhoas added, “This award gives us a unique opportunity to rethink how diagnostic devices are designed, used, and discarded.
“By bringing together engineers, social scientists, and industry partners, we want to create new solutions that protect both human health and the planet.”
As part of the project, the team will host a workshop at Heriot-Watt’s Edinburgh Campus on Tuesday 9 October. The event will give members of the UK’s medical IVD (In Vitro Diagnostic) or point-of-care diagnostics community an opportunity to shape the project at an early stage and share industry perspectives. Those wishing to register their interest in attending this event should email mediaenquiries@hw.ac.uk.
