Health Tech Sustainable Design Guide
As the MedTech sector responds to growing pressure from regulators, healthcare providers, and patients to reduce environmental impact, sustainability can no longer be treated as an afterthought or a reporting exercise. The majority of a medical device’s environmental footprint is determined early — by decisions made during concept development, material selection, manufacturing strategy, and clinical use.
This Sustainable Design Guide has been created to help MedTech innovators embed sustainability by design, from the earliest stages of product development through to full commercial deployment. Aligned to Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), the guide provides practical, actionable guidance that integrates environmental and circular design thinking into existing product development workflows — without compromising safety, performance, or regulatory compliance.
The guide is intended for designers, engineers, product managers, founders, and sustainability leads working across medical devices, diagnostics, and health technologies. By using this guide, readers will gain a clear understanding of what sustainability considerations matter most at each stage of development, when to address them, and how to make informed trade-offs.
Adopting this approach enables organisations to reduce carbon and waste, de-risk future regulation, align with NHS Net Zero ambitions, and create products that are more resilient, cost-effective, and clinically valuable — ultimately accelerating better outcomes for patients, healthcare systems, and the planet.