Curb the environmental impact of hospitals through the redesign of single-use procedural kits.

The current pandemic crisis has highlighted how the excessive use of plastics in hospital systems is one of the most critical issues in terms of recovery, recycling and proper disposal of the waste generated by the entire system. In an attempt to respond to this crucial question, the paper reports on research conducted on single-use surgical products, in particular on the redesign of a single-use procedural kit. The research was conducted through desk research, field research and the HCD approach. The research required a multi-disciplinary approach to develop new sustainable layouts starting with the details, requirements and needs for the design of an adaptable and versatile procedure kit were highlighted. The design solutions that led to the realisation of the prototype are: design of a biodegradable EPP tray, functional for disposal by incineration; design of a recyclable PETG tray, divided into 3 compartments. The project will reduce production costs by using less plastic material, leading to the creation of a new product/service flow; organic-based tray that minimises pollution; reducing incineration by reducing unused waste; time-saving benefits by individual packaging of additional customisable instruments.