Circular indicators for the design and procurement of plastic products in the healthcare sector - A review
2024 (English)In: 31st CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering, LCE 2024, Elsevier B.V. , 2024, Vol. 122, p. 891-896Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
A critical shift is required to meet the challenges reflected in the sustainable development goals. Policymakers in the EU are betting on a transition from a linear to a circular economy to make this happen. Public procurement is vital in this context, e.g., accounting for 20% of Swedish GDP, with circular public procurement being critical to the transition. Until now, the research focus in this area has been narrower, concentrating on, e.g., IT equipment or furniture. However, plastic medical products have not been addressed despite generating substantial environmental impact and offering a tremendous upside. To enable the application of circular economy strategies in this context, changes are required on two ends: the design of the products and the criteria under which the products are procured. Indicators are the central basis of decision-making in any purchasing decision and are considered powerful enablers and drivers of the transition to a circular economy. This paper reviews circular indicators as a starting point toward guidelines for the circular design and procurement of plastic products in the healthcare sector. Based on this, critical factors for developing a comprehensive indicator for the design and procurement of circular plastic medical products are identified.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier B.V. , 2024. Vol. 122, p. 891-896
Series
Procedia CIRP, ISSN 2212-8271 ; 122
Keywords [en]
Circular economy, design, healthcare, indicators, medical devices, plastics, procurement
National Category
Environmental Management
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-347126DOI: 10.1016/j.procir.2024.01.122ISI: 001487145100150Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85193465750OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-347126DiVA, id: diva2:1864375
Conference
31st CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering, LCE 2024, Turin, Italy, Jun 19 2024 - Jun 21 2024
Note
QC 20240605
2024-06-032024-06-032025-12-05Bibliographically approved