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Remanufacturing as a circular design strategy in healthcare: integrating socio-technical and environmental-economic assessments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

Amanda Worsøe Andersen ,
Siri Fritze Jørgensen ,
Wendy Gunn  and
Monia Niero
Amanda Worsøe Andersen
Affiliation:
Viegand Maagøe A/S, Denmark
Siri Fritze Jørgensen
Affiliation:
Public Procurement, Region Hovedstaden, The Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
Wendy Gunn*
Affiliation:
Aalborg University, Denmark
Monia Niero
Affiliation:
Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Italy
*
wendyg@plan.aau.dk

Abstract

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This paper examines the role of remanufacturing in healthcare as a key circular design strategy, particularly for medical devices, assessing its socio-technical, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Through a detailed case of ultrasound catheters, it demonstrates how remanufacturing can lead to resource conservation, cost savings, and enhanced product lifecycles in health care without compromising quality and patient safety. The study argues for systemic changes in healthcare practices to fully integrate remanufacturing, underscoring its role beyond a technical solution.

Keywords

sustainability assessmentremanufacturingmedical devicedesign strategycircular economy
Type
Design for Sustainability
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society , Volume 4: DESIGN 2024 , May 2024 , pp. 1179 - 1188
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2024.

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