The Challenges We Face
Environmental sustainability in healthcare faces significant barriers, notably strict regulatory requirements that prioritise safety and sterility. The sector generates approximately 5% of global carbon emissions, largely due to high volumes of single-use plastics, complex waste streams, and energy-intensive processes. Single-use medical devices and packaging generate substantial waste, challenging effective recycling and resource management. Other barriers include limited availability of innovative materials, complex waste management logistics, operational costs, and the need for data-driven traceability across the lifecycle.
Our Vision
ENKORE’s vision is to develop and implement a comprehensive eco-design framework that integrates sustainability principles throughout the lifecycle of medical devices and healthcare packaging. This framework ensures circularity from initial design through production, use, and end-of-life management, enhancing environmental and resource efficiency.
The Keys to Improvements
Our Innovations
Catalogues of Key Enabling Materials (KEM) & Key End-of-Cycle Solutions (KES)
We identify sustainable materials and recycling solutions that optimise resource use, minimise waste, and maintain stringent safety and efficacy requirements.
Digital Product Passport (DPP)
A digital tool providing essential product lifecycle data, enabling transparent tracking and effective management for recycling and reuse.
Environmental and Social Life Cycle Assessments (ELCA/SLCA)
Robust assessments that quantify environmental and social impacts at each lifecycle stage, guiding informed sustainable design decisions.
Circularity Calculator (CC)
A decision-support tool to evaluate and improve product circularity, ensuring sustainability considerations are integrated at the design stage.