Wednesday, May 28, 2025
The Expert Meetings organized by the Thesis Lab Groene Zorg concluded yesterday with a well-attended mini-seminar on repair, refurbishment, and recycling of medical devices and short circular supply chains. The event took place at GreenCycl.
The Groene Zorg Expert Meetings are part of the Thesis Lab Groene Zorg, a collaboration between the LDE Centre for Sustainability and Medical Delta. Eleven students conduct their graduation research within the Thesis Lab, focusing on sustainability challenges faced by healthcare providers. Through the Expert Meetings and other activities, they gain the necessary knowledge, background, and input needed for their research.
This year, for the first time, non-students — such as healthcare professionals, sustainability coordinators, and healthcare managers — were also able to join one of the five masterclasses, seminars, and site visits.
Expert Meeting on Repair, Refurbishment, and Recycling
What are the benefits of not throwing away medical devices, but instead repairing, refurbishing, and recycling them locally? During the expert session at GreenCycl, about forty healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers came together to find answers — and the results were promising.
The afternoon began with an inspiring circular safari at GreenCycl in De Meern. Participants discovered how shorter, circular supply chains can truly work — from a laundry service for cellulose mats and surgical gowns to local recycling factories for hospital waste in Zuid-Holland. They recognized the potential of reusing items like surgical gowns, caps, and incontinence materials through washing instead of burning or discarding them.
During the tour and discussions, it became clear that local reuse saves costs and raw materials but also calls for new forms of collaboration. Who sorts what? Who takes responsibility? And should circularity actually be profitable?
The subsequent panel discussion sparked a lively debate. Using statements such as: Should circularity be organized decentrally or centrally? Is it acceptable to make a profit from circular processing? And will we truly use 50% of our primary raw materials circularly by 2030? Various perspectives were shared — from entrepreneurs with practical experience to researchers and policymakers with a broader view.
The expert session concluded with an informal networking reception.
Medical Delta Café Focuses on Groene Zorg
Reducing product use and waste in healthcare — also known as ‘Reduce’ — depends heavily on behavior. And behavior is strongly influenced by factors such as workplace design, the attitude of supervisors, or the knowledge of healthcare professionals. How do you effectively intervene in these areas? Can reduction be learned?
At the Medical Delta Café Groene Gezondheidszorg: “Can reduction be learned?” we’ll explore these questions together. Successful practical examples and scientific insights will be shared, and statements will be discussed. Short presentations will alternate with discussions and conclude with a networking reception.
The Café is jointly organized by the LDE Center for Sustainability and Medical Delta and will take place on Thursday, July 3, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Leiden. Participation is free — register here.
