On 11 December, the EWUU alliance hosted an inspiring Lunch & Learn session focused on reducing waste and reclaiming resources within healthcare. During this online event, researchers and designers shared concrete examples of how the transition to zero-waste healthcare is taking shape, from Suriname to Utrecht.

Did you miss the session? Take a look at the recording below:

Guus Crooijmans (UMC Utrecht) and Joes Janmaat (Studio Sociaal Centraal) presented Waterzorg, an installation and social design project exploring water reuse in kidney dialysis. Janmaat explained how the project manages to reclaim two-thirds of the water used during the process and shared their ongoing work toward regenerating the remaining third.

Next, Megan Milota (UMC Utrecht) and Ryvann Soerohardjo (Anton de Kom University & Academic Hospital Paramaribo) opened the session. They discussed their research on reducing waste in maternity care by comparing material use between the Netherlands and Suriname. Their insights highlighted what can be learned from different international contexts to reduce the environmental footprint of hospitals.

The session offered two unique perspectives on circularity with one shared goal: zero-waste healthcare. The event concluded with an interactive Q&A, where participants and speakers delved deeper into the practical implementation of these innovations within current healthcare systems.