Promoting circularity in Dutch healthcare
PROMEZA helps healthcare providers measure and reduce medical material consumption
Dutch healthcare institutions generate significant waste daily, much of which is incinerated. To address this, we developed the PROMEZA tool in collaboration with NFU partners to measure material use during medical procedures, revealing opportunities for sustainability.
By offering insights into material consumption, PROMEZA helps healthcare professionals reduce waste, reuse products, and contribute to the sector’s goal of halving raw material usage by 2030.
- Partners: NFU (Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers): Erasmus MC, MUMC+, Radboud MC, UMCG, Amsterdam UMC, MPZ
- Client: Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
- Date: 2024
Addressing the overuse of raw materials in healthcare
The Dutch healthcare sector consumes vast amounts of materials, accounting for 13% of the country’s total raw material usage. A significant portion of these materials is neither reused nor recycled. With rising costs and limited availability of raw materials, there is an urgent need to adopt sustainable practices. Healthcare providers require support in understanding where to start in making their operations more sustainable.
A practical tool for measuring and reducing material consumption
Metabolic developed the PROMEZA tool to provide healthcare professionals with a method to measure and assess the material consumption of specific medical procedures, such as cataract surgery. The approach includes:
- Selecting healthcare activities for analysis
- Weighing and cataloging materials used, including packaging and aids
- Inputting data into the PROMEZA tool to generate a comprehensive overview of material use
By working closely with departments like purchasing and facilities, healthcare providers can implement strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials more efficiently.
From insights to action – towards sustainable healthcare
The PROMEZA tool provides healthcare providers with the data necessary to make informed decisions about material use and sustainability. By offering a clear understanding of the materials consumed during medical procedures, it paves the way for meaningful changes in operational practices. These outcomes not only benefit individual departments but also support the broader shift towards a circular healthcare system.
This initiative aligns with the Green Deal Sustainable Healthcare 3.0, which aims to halve raw material consumption by 2030 and achieve circular healthcare by 2050.
