Grassroots initiatives model socially just, care-centred ways of “discarding well,” revealing both their transformative potential and the need for broader systemic change in waste relations.

Cat Acheson presented research on activism, public health, and global plastics treaty negotiations at ‘The Anthropology of Plastics’ symposium in Aarhus.

Danielle Farrow reflects on CleanMed Europe 2025 explores the unresolved tensions shaping sustainable healthcare: how we balance patient outcomes, budgets, and planetary health, and who carries the burden of driving change. Read the full piece on why confronting these trade-offs is essential for reimagining healthcare’s future.

At the Medical Anthropology Europe Conference 2025, Alice Street questioned how we might theorise hospitals as more-than-biomedical places and highlighted the environmental damage hospitals cause. 

How can photo stories and photovoice help us rethink single-use medical devices - revealing their benefits, harms, and ethical challenges - while amplifying marginalised voices and reshaping collaboration in healthcare research?

What does it take to build ethical, effective collaborations for a sustainable healthcare future? Our "Collaborations" workshop explored justice, advocacy, and co-production beyond academia.

How do we ethically research medical plastic waste in hospitals, waste sites, and communities while respecting privacy, avoiding harm, and fostering collaborative, non-exploitative relationships?