At the height of a global discussion around the need to reduce hospital waste, an innovative partnership between a Dutch artist and a Swedish healthcare company shows that up to 90% of packaging waste, the major contributor to operating room waste, can be reduced.
In 2019 Dutch artist Maria Koijck underwent a full mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis. The waste from her 10-hour breast reconstruction surgery two years later, including post-op care, resulted in an art installation where she challenged the healthcare industry on more sustainable solutions.
“I was shocked when I discovered how much waste a procedure like mine generated,” said Maria Koijck. “I'm happy that my original video got a lot of attention and reactions from the healthcare industry. But for a long time, my question has been unanswered”.
The result, Swedish Mölnlycke Health Care, a global provider of innovations in wound care and operating room solutions, teamed up with Maria Koijck to recreate her artwork with Mölnlycke’s proprietary “ProcedurePak®” which proved that packaging waste can be reduced by up to 90%.
Date: 6 November