Why Healthcare’s ‘Do No Harm’ Ethic Must Include the Planet

Author: Muireann McMahon, University of Limerick
Published: October 30, 2025

Introduction

Healthcare follows a rule: do no harm to patients. Yet now, this rule must also protect the environment. Each product—a syringe, a surgical kit—is made by using Earth’s finite resources. Each product leaves behind pollution and waste.
(All words link close in thought: healthcare → patients; product → resources; product → waste.)

Healthcare’s Environmental Impact

The healthcare industry adds to climate change. It gives off 4.4% of global carbon emissions. Most of these emissions, 71%, come from making, using, and discarding medical technology. In the UK, the NHS creates about 156,000 tonnes of waste every year. This waste equals more than 5,700 large freight containers. Up to 90% of that waste comes from single-use items.
(Energy flows: industry → emissions; production → disposal; NHS → tonnes → containers.)

Regulatory Shifts: EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products

The EU now sets ecodesign regulations. The goal is to break the old cycle of take, make, and waste. New rules ask that products last longer. They require easier repair and disassembly. They also demand that materials return to the economy, not to landfill.
(Medical products are included in these rules. Patient safety stays high. If a product may spread infection, it is exempt.)
(Lines connect: EU → regulations; product → design; design → longevity; exempt → patient safety.)

Challenges and Setbacks

In the US, progress on green practices faces reversals. Policy choices, like leaving the Paris agreement, slow change. Delays in stricter rules on chemicals such as ethylene oxide worsen the problem. Innovation gets blocked for safer sterilization methods like CO₂ or UV light. Safe reuse of devices then becomes hard. Waste grows. (Dependencies: US policy → progress; chemicals → innovation; safe reuse → waste reduction.)

Opportunities for Sustainable Healthcare

A full lifecycle check of devices shows where to cut waste and resource use. Green public procurement spirits sustainable choices. Research and innovation make repair easier and simplify design. Standardization lets parts swap easily. This move builds longer lifespans for products and boosts reuse. Minimal, recyclable packaging can replace mixed-material sterile sets.

Leading companies now step forward: • Medtronic aims for net-zero emissions by 2030. It designs smaller, longer-lasting tools and sources materials responsibly. • Johnson & Johnson uses recycling and closed-loop systems. It tracks its environmental impact publicly. • Abbott plans a 90% waste cut. It focuses on making packaging more sustainable. (Direct links: lifecycle → waste cut; research → repair; companies → steps; each idea attaches to action.)

The Road Ahead: Integration of Health and Planetary Care

The medtech sector, worth US$587 billion in the US alone, spends about 8% of its funds on R&D. This funding can drive greener innovation. By aligning care for patients with care for the Earth, healthcare can take smart steps: • Match environmental care with patient safety. • Invest in circular design and smarter buying. • Build systems that work together. • Encourage all groups to work side by side. The expected result is clear. Innovation will mean care that protects both people and the planet. (Strong bonds: sector → R&D; investment → innovation; alignment → care for patients and Earth.)

Conclusion

Patient safety and environmental care work as a pair. The old rule of “do no harm” must now include the planet. With clear, close links between ideas and actions, healthcare can reach clinical excellence without costing Earth. (Close links: safety ↔ environment; old rule → new idea; healthcare → excellence.)

Source: The Conversation – Why healthcare’s ‘do no harm’ ethic must include the planet

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