The mantra of ‘prevention is better than cure’ is a fundamental principle of modern healthcare. It also has relevance to the design, production, and consumption of plastic products and packaging used in hospital settings.

The 2023-24 Commonwealth Environment Minister’s Priority List includes ‘plastics in healthcare used in hospitals’ with specific product stewardship actions and timeframes outlined for industry to act on.

The Priority List, made under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020, seeks to give notice with the expectation that industry-led initiatives (existing and emerging) result in solutions that prevent and reduce waste resulting from plastics used in hospitals.

For a snapshot of some initiatives underway in Australia, this webinar samples services and programs that describe the achievements, the challenges, and the learnings.

At a time when healthcare product waste is increasing, the need for policies, programs, education, and investment, becomes more acute. The opportunity to reduce plastic waste in the product and its packaging allows manufacturers, brands, hospitals, and clinicians to take a proactive approach.

During this webinar, you will hear from presenters who are involved in the healthcare industry. You will learn about initiatives that can support your activities to be a better product steward when it comes to plastics used in hospital settings.

The session was moderated by John Gertsakis, Director – Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence, and will include a Q&A session with each panellist.