From Greenwashing to Green-hushing
Pd-m’s Sustainability and Commercial Lead, Rich Shaw, was recently featured in Clinical Services Journal alongside Pennine Healthcare, contributing to an important discussion on how MedTech can meet the NHS’s Net Zero goals.
The article, Towards Security of Supply, Safety and Sustainability, explores how the medical device sector can move beyond greenwashing and tackle the challenges of transparency, regulation, and resource efficiency.
Green-hushing in MedTech
One of the themes Rich highlighted is the industry’s shift from greenwashing to green-hushing—where manufacturers stay quiet about sustainability progress for fear it won’t be “enough” or could be misinterpreted. This reluctance to communicate, while understandable, risks slowing down sector-wide learning and collaboration.
“Companies are innovating to reduce carbon and waste,” Rich explained, “but the fear of being imperfect is creating a silence that helps nobody. Progress, not perfection, is what’s needed.”
The Bigger Picture
The discussion recognised that medical devices account for around 10% of NHS emissions—a significant share. Yet regulations around materials, reuse, and end-of-life treatment remain a barrier to more sustainable approaches. Many devices have shifted towards single-use over the last few decades, increasing incinerated waste and costs for healthcare providers.
Encouragingly, reusable devices are now being considered more seriously, offering a 38–56% reduction in emissions over their lifecycle. Where reuse isn’t feasible, new material innovations and improved end-of-life recycling will be vital.
Transparency and Collaboration
Rich emphasised that integrating sustainability into business strategy is no longer optional—it’s essential. Procurement initiatives such as the Evergreen Assessment are pushing suppliers to evidence their progress, with transparent emissions reporting and clear targets. For smaller MedTech SMEs, building these capabilities will be a journey, but one where collaboration across the sector is key.
Our Commitment
At Pd-m, we are proud to play a role in shaping these conversations and in helping clients design with sustainability at the forefront. By embedding lifecycle thinking at the earliest stages of design, we are supporting medical device manufacturers to reduce carbon, cut costs, and prepare for the NHS’s ambitious 2040 and 2045 Net Zero deadlines.