Making wound care sustainable in Flemish care settings

Stop the shift to disposable instruments

The project "Making wound care sustainable in Flemish care settings: stop the shift to disposable instruments" introduces reusable instruments for wound care in the care sector. After an initial implementation, the partners will develop a roadmap to inspire the entire Flemish care sector.

Instruments for wound care such as scissors, tweezers and wound probes are made of stainless steel and hard plastic to make accurate and critical handling easier. Yet healthcare facilities often opt for single-use versions and thus they disappear into high-risk medical waste and eventually into the incinerator.

To combat this waste production, the project "Making wound care sustainable in Flemish healthcare settings: stop the shift to disposable instruments" is introducing reusable alternatives in the healthcare sector. Sterilization can be done in two ways: internally if the capacity of the care facility allows it or externally through a company specialized in reusing medical materials. After the implementation of the new method, the partners will work out a roadmap to expand the project in other care institutions throughout Flanders. In addition, they will train care workers to deal with this new working method and develop e-learnings for different target groups from the sector to stimulate sustainable choices.