Plastics resources

Plastics and health

A - Waste management

 

B - Audits

 

C - Campaigns

A - Health Care Without Harm in the Global Plastics Treaty 
B - Policy recommendations

Plastics in health care: FAQs

Got questions? Find here some of the most common questions related to plastics in general and health care plastics in particular.

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Medical textiles

Medical textiles, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like gowns, aprons, and face masks, along with sterilization materials such as "blue wrap," significantly contribute to plastic waste in healthcare. These items can constitute up to 10% of a hospital's plastic waste and are mostly composed of non-woven polypropylene, a material challenging to recycle. By adopting reusable alternatives for medical textiles, hospitals worldwide can achieve substantial environmental benefits. Transitioning to reusable gowns, aprons, and drapes reduces single-use plastic production and minimizes waste,  and environmental pollution from production, use, and disposal.

Health Care Without Harm partnered with the Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund (NREF) in a two-year project (2024 - 2026) focused on sustainable textile production and consumption in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. This initiative aims to combat the plastic pandemic and promote sustainable production practices, transforming the sector’s dependency and overreliance on plastic and toxic materials.

This online course and tool are designed to support health care institutions worldwide in adopting more sustainable medical textiles, and provide the health care sector with the resources to evaluate opportunities for substituting textile products with more sustainable alternatives.

This free, self-paced course equips health care professionals and procurement teams with the knowledge and tools to replace single-use medical textiles with reusable options. Participants will gain hands-on experience with the Medical Textiles Tool, a resource designed to help hospitals audit textile product use, evaluate alternative procurement options, and implement sustainable solutions that reduce plastics consumption, waste, and costs. The course also provides insights into developing plastic reduction strategies, navigating sustainable procurement, and driving transformation in the medical textiles market.