Mehrweg in Arztpraxen - Reuse in medical practices

AI Quick Summary

In medical practices, the use of disposable instruments is more and more replacing the previous practice of sterilisation. We want to understand why this change is happening now and how to make a turnaround to reuse by using sterilisation. Especially in the health sector, security of supply is an important. Short distances in Swiss cities might be a key to find practical solutions and embed a local value chain to support local doctors if it is not practical anymore to do the sterilisation in the office. We want to find good levers for follow-up projects. Currently, more and more doctors are moving to disposible instruments. The old tradition of sterilisation is loosing ground, we are faced with huge waste impact and long-distance supply chains in the health sectors. Especially in cities, where the distances are short and the infrastructure of services and logistics are established, reusable solution should be possible. In a first step, we want to understand if the trend is already real or still in an early stage, why the doctors are moving to single-use, disposible instruments and what they need to return or start with reusable instruments. Therefore, we plan a questionaire and some interviews.Depending on the results, we want to find partner and build alliances to digg deeper and prepare a field project in 2026. Depending on the results and insights based on the questionare, the field project leads to a comparision of possible solutions by collecting data for different LCA in parallel, e.g. one focusing on inhouse sterilisation, one focusing on external sterilisation and one focusing on single-use, all three for the same type of instruments. This gives a comparability of the different solutions concerning the ecological impact and identifies aspects with greater impacts.Why is this an issue for a City of Short Distances? It needs a good health infrastructure as well! Especially family doctors or general practitioners are needed and they contribute to waste or local value chains as well.

Project Idea Metadata

Project Idea Name: Mehrweg in Arztpraxen - Reuse in medical practices
Date: 5/6/2025 2:03:49 PM
Administrators:
- Ina Paschen

Project Idea Description

Currently, more and more doctors are moving to disposible instruments. The old tradition of sterilisation is loosing ground, we are faced with huge waste impact and long-distance supply chains in the health sectors. Especially in cities, where the distances are short and the infrastructure of services and logistics are established, reusable solution should be possible.

In a first step, we want to understand if the trend is already real or still in an early stage, why the doctors are moving to single-use, disposible instruments and what they need to return or start with reusable instruments. Therefore, we plan a questionaire and some interviews.

Depending on the results, we want to find partner and build alliances to digg deeper and prepare a field project in 2026. Depending on the results and insights based on the questionare, the field project leads to a comparision of possible solutions by collecting data for different LCA in parallel, e.g. one focusing on inhouse sterilisation, one focusing on external sterilisation and one focusing on single-use, all three for the same type of instruments. This gives a comparability of the different solutions concerning the ecological impact and identifies aspects with greater impacts.

Why is this an issue for a City of Short Distances? It needs a good health infrastructure as well! Especially family doctors or general practitioners are needed and they contribute to waste or local value chains as well.