6 million euro for large-scale northern project on sustainable healthcare: Care2Change

A large consortium with just about all northern hospitals, local governments, knowledge institutions such as the University of Groningen and the Hanze university of Applied Sciences, and a number of healthcare companies, will cooperate in a project on sustainable healthcare. The project, titled Care2Change, has a total cost of 6 million euros - of which 3 million is funded by the Northern Netherlands Alliance (SNN)- and is co-financed by the participating organizations (40 percent) and external parties (10 percent). It is aimed at significantly reducing the pollution caused by healthcare and financially strengthening the Northern Netherlands region through the regional and circular production of healthcare products.

Conscious and economical use of materials

As a collective, Care2Change promotes the conscious and economical use of healthcare products. This creates less waste. The consortium examines how all kinds of products can be reused that would otherwise be thrown away and how products that are thrown away can be recycled to raw materials that can be used in other applications. The project also studies the possibilities to have these healthcare products made in the Northern Netherlands and explores new trade routes. “In this way, we stimulate the local economy and guarantee security of supply. Not entirely unimportant within today's geopolitics”, says project leader Femke van der Zant (UMCG).

On behalf of the UG’s Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), assistant professors Bart Noort and Kristian Peters are involved in the project, both as researcher as well as leader of a project work package. The grant will allow two PhD candidates to be appointed at FEB, who will closely collaborate with Noort and Peters. The research of these doctoral programs will address the operational, logistical and procurement-related aspects of the transition from disposable to reusable products and the environmental performance of healthcare product systems through life cycle assessments (LCA). The project fits well within FEB’s strategic interdisciplinary themes ‘Healthy Society’ and ‘Future Prosperity and Sustainability’.

The research group of Heeres (Green chemical reaction engineering), embedded in the Faculty of Science and Engineering of the University of Groningen, also participates in the consortium (work package 5, post-doc  for 1 year). It will perform experimental research in a lab environment on recycling plastic waste from hospitals using advanced pyrolysis technology.     

Continuing to fulfill commitments to patients

According project leader Van der Zant (UMCG), it is absolutely necessary to be in action mode when it comes to sustainable healthcare. “We owe it to our patients to protect not only them, but also their environment. Global warming increases the risk of disease. We are already seeing this with, for example, death from heat, Lyme disease and a rise in allergies. This weighs on the supply of products. If we continue like this, our healthcare can no longer cope and we cannot live up to our oath as healthcare providers to do no harm to our patients.”

If the consortium succeeds in taking important steps towards a sustainable, climate-neutral care system, this will lay a solid foundation that will not only lead to a drastic reduction in polluting emissions from the Northern healthcare sector, it is also expected to reduce healthcare costs and increase prosperity in the Northern Netherlands.

Behaviour change for sustainable healthcare practices

To achieve a more sustainable health sector, behaviour change among healthcare professionals is crucial. Reducing waste production in hospitals requires the integration of more sustainable practices into daily routines. However, this is not an easy feat, as the need for efficiency and infection prevention may conflict with such practices. Furthermore, as part of the project, more reusable alternatives will be developed. Yet, if these alternatives are not accepted and adopted, they will not achieve their full environmental potential. Assistant Professor Josefine Geiger and Associate Professor Berfu Ünal, environmental psychologists from Campus Fryslân, are involved in this project and will tackle these behaviour change challenges. They will supervise a PhD candidate who will collaborate closely with project partners and hospitals to develop behaviour change strategies. This work will result in concrete guidelines and tools that hospitals can implement.

The project consortium

Care2Change is a collaboration between UMCG, the University of Groningen, Martini Hospital, Sterinoord, GS1/EAN Netherlands, Boikon, Ommelander Hospital, Treant, Frisius MC, NHL Stenden, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Association Circular Friesland, Life Cooperative, Association Circular Groningen Drenthe, Business Network Green Chemistry Drenthe (SUSPACC), Milieuplatform Zorg, Nij Smellinghe, Pezy Product Design, 8D Games, House of Design, Antonius Hospital, NOM, Menzis, the Province of Groningen, the Province of Drenthe, the Municipality of Groningen, the Municipality of Assen, the Municipality of Leeuwarden and the Municipality of Emmen. Care2Change is partly paid from ERFO funds of SNN with co-financing from the participating organizations.