Circular economy for medical devices: Barriers, opportunities and best practices from a design perspective

• Published in: Resources, conservation and recycling conservation and recycling, 2024-09, Vol.208, p.107719, Article 107719
• Main Authors: Hoveling, Tamara, Svindland Nijdam, Anne, Monincx, Marlou, Faludi, Jeremy, Bakker, Conny
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active medical devices; Circular design; Circular economy; health services; markets; Medical devices; solid wastes; Sustainable healthcare
• ISSN: 0921-3449; 1879-0658
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107719

•25 % of 1400 screened devices employ at least one circular strategy.•95 % of circular medical devices are reusable; other strategies are less common.•Small medical devices of MDR class IIa utilized in healthcare scored highest.•Safety, regulation, stakeholder issues, and scalability hinder device circularity.•We advise integrating diverse circular approaches early in medical device design. In an era of electronics-driven healthcare, the disposability of many medical devices raises environmental concerns. Transitioning these devices towards a circular economy, involving practices like reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling, holds promise. Our paper explores this transition through desk research, literature review, and expert interviews, examining the current state of circular design in electronic medical devices. We unveil barriers, opportunities, and design recommendations for circularization. First, we highlight the circularity potential of medical devices currently on the market, implementing e.g. refuse, reuse, recycle, etc. Second, we present barriers for circular medical device design, (e.g. (perceived) safety and infection risks, (perceived) regulatory difficulties, financial constraints, and difficulties in collection and separation) and opportunities to overcome these barriers. Finally, we present 29 design-specific recommendations for creating circular medical devices. Our insights into circular healthcare practices urge design engineers to integrate sustainable principles into medical device development without compromising safety, quality, or functionality.