What is it about?
Healthcare produces enormous amounts of waste, yet the sector has been slow to adopt circular economy (CE) practices that could cut its environmental impact. Our study systematically reviewed research published between 2014 and 2024 to understand how CE is being applied in healthcare and where the gaps remain. We found four main areas of focus: managing healthcare waste, designing more sustainable products, building supportive economic and policy frameworks, and engaging and educating stakeholders. While Europe leads in CE adoption, Asia and North America remain underrepresented in the research. We also found that studies tend to focus heavily on operational issues, while broader systemic enablers are less explored. Barriers such as regulatory constraints, resistance to change, and patient safety concerns continue to slow progress, especially in reusing and recycling medical devices. We propose three priorities for future work: evaluating the effectiveness of existing policy frameworks, integrating CE principles into healthcare training, and developing reverse logistics systems for recovering and recycling medical devices. By addressing these gaps, healthcare can move beyond waste reduction to build resilient, low-carbon supply chains.
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Why is it important?
Healthcare is a vital service, but it comes with a large environmental footprint, from single, use medical devices to energy-intensive supply chains. Without change, the sector’s waste and emissions will keep growing, undermining both environmental and public health. By identifying research gaps and practical barriers, our study highlights what needs to happen for circular economy practices to succeed in healthcare. It shows that focusing only on waste management isn’t enough, we also need stronger policies, education, and supply chain innovation to create lasting change. Addressing these issues is essential not just for reducing waste, but for building a healthcare system that is both sustainable and resilient in the face of global challenges.
Perspectives
I have long been interested in how circular economy principles can deliver real-world sustainability benefits, but healthcare presents a unique challenge. It’s a sector where safety and reliability come first, and rightly so, yet this can make it harder to adopt reuse, recycling, and other resource-efficient practices. Through this review, I wanted to understand not just what has been studied, but also where we are falling short in turning ideas into action. For me, the findings are a call to move beyond small, isolated waste-reduction efforts towards systemic change — integrating policy reform, education, and supply chain redesign. Ultimately, my goal is to help create healthcare systems that protect both people’s health and the planet’s health at the same time.
Dr Krish Saha
Birmingham City University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A systematic review of circular economy literature in healthcare: Transitioning from a ‘post-waste’ approach to sustainability, Journal of Cleaner Production, May 2025, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145427.
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