With over 2 billion tests yearly, lateral flow kits generate 16,000 tonnes of plastic waste. This study highlights reducing plastic use, informing policy, product design, and packaging to lessen the environmental impact.

Plastics pose serious health risks, yet industry influence is weakening the Global Plastics Treaty commitments. A strong, binding Article 19 is essential to protect public health and ensure the treaty delivers real change.

The proposed exemption of medical plastics from the Global Plastics Treaty risks undermining health and environmental protections, ignoring harmful impacts, and prioritizing commercial interests over sustainable, safe, and equitable health care.

Diagnostic waste from single-use tests poses serious environmental and health risks in low-resource settings. Responsibility must shift from under-resourced governments to manufacturers, integrating waste management into diagnostic design and global health policy.

Modern health care’s reliance on disposable equipment contributes significantly to climate change. This wasteful practice, driven by fear and efficiency – not necessity – undermines sustainability and demands a return to reusable alternatives.

The shift from reusable to disposable medical masks since the 1960s reflects a broader “throwaway culture,” prioritizing convenience and cost over sustainability, leaving modern health systems vulnerable during pandemics.

Intelligent healthcare and realising the potential of the Internet of Medical Things take the top spots on the medtech industry’s agenda, but where does that leave sustainability?