Embedding Sustainability at the Core of Healthcare Innovation

At ENKORE ECOHEALTHCARE, we believe that sustainability and innovation must advance hand in hand. Supported by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), ENKORE is developing the first comprehensive eco-design framework for single-use medical devices and packaging. This framework aims to reduce environmental impact throughout the entire product lifecycle — from design and production to use, collection, and recycling ensuring that sustainability is no longer an afterthought but a starting point.

Our work goes beyond technology. ENKORE unites 39 partners and 13 affiliated members across 15 European countries, bringing together universities, research centres, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and policymakers under a shared vision: to make circularity a practical reality in healthcare. Through this collaboration, we are embedding sustainability into every level of the system in product design, clinical workflows, waste management, and policy frameworks.

This integrated approach allows ENKORE to address one of the sector’s greatest challenges: the heavy reliance on single-use materials and packaging. By rethinking how these products are conceived, used, and recovered, we can unlock new models of innovation that serve both efficiency and responsibility.

But sustainability in healthcare is not just about reducing waste or emissions. It is about reshaping innovation itself ensuring that the technologies and solutions we create today improve quality of life while safeguarding the world we will inhabit tomorrow.

At ENKORE, we envision a future where every medical device and every act of care reflects a balance between patient safety, clinical excellence, and environmental stewardship. Because a truly sustainable healthcare system is one that heals people without harming the planet.