During your research, were you able to identify existing measures or initiatives that aim to lower resource consumption?
Hempel: There is no smart overall strategy at this point, although there are several respectable initiatives out there. Examples of this include KLIK green, a collaboration project by BUND e.V. (German Association for the Conservation of Environment and Nature), the Hospital Association of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Jena University Hospital that actively supports climate protection and resource-conversation efforts in hospitals. Another project led by the Viamedica Foundation and the NGO Health Care Without Harm seeks to bring together healthy medicine and a healthy environment.
When you look at other countries, are there any international models the German healthcare system might want to emulate?
Hempel: There are not many comparative studies in this setting. What's more, the healthcare systems can also vary considerably on an international basis, which makes it difficult to compare them. We found a study that compares Sweden, Austria, the United States, Japan, and Germany. Taking all restrictions into account, their cautious conclusion is that Germany ranks in the middle when it comes to resource consumption, but then our consumption is increasing at a faster rate than these other countries.
Despite advancements in medical care, Austria and Sweden have managed to keep their resource consumption largely constant.
What would an ideal circular economy in healthcare look like?
Hempel: What we need is to move away from the "take-make-waste" model, which is the basis of the linear economy, in which products are manufactured, used, and then thrown away. Instead, the “reduce-reuse-recycle” model must become the standard: in this case, the consumption of resources is minimized by reusing products as much as possible and by recycling them more frequently.
Other industries demonstrate this idea by extending product lives and usage and by reusing them after repairs, as well as by applying sharing models or by avoiding respective products right from the start. That being said, this type of change is only successful if we also factor in social aspects, i.e., the living and work environment. It will take professional development and continuing education of employees to establish this mindset shift in practice.
The application deadline for CirculAid is May 15, 2023. What happens after that?
Hempel: The best project ideas are selected by the DBU office along with external experts. The first projects are to be funded starting at the end of 2023, making a decision in November or December realistic.
How are applications that receive funding being supported?
Hempel: The general guidelines for DBU funding include terms of up to three years. Projects can receive a funding volume between 100,000 and 400,000 euros for all project partners for the entire project duration. Universities and higher learning institutions are usually funded 100 percent on an expenditure basis, while participation in SMEs usually entails 50 percent of the project costs. This also includes material costs, orders to third parties and investments to a certain extent.
Frequently, we also provide support in public relations efforts. On occasion, we visit trade fairs together and organize a joint booth. This could be a great starting point for small and medium-sized enterprises and would also be a conceivable option at MEDICA, for example.
