Students from a Birmingham university have provided a groundbreaking solution to a major environmental and economic challenge facing the National Health Service.
A Sustainable Answer to a Massive Waste Problem
The NHS uses a staggering more than 1.4 billion disposable gloves every year. This creates vast amounts of clinical waste, which carries significant costs for both the environment and the health service's budget.
In a collaborative effort, students and researchers from Aston University have teamed up with Midlands-based company PFE Medical to tackle this issue head-on. Their innovative project has resulted in the creation of a new type of biodegradable glove made from food waste, including materials like orange peel.
From Lab to Real-World Impact
This work is part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), a scheme designed to bridge the gap between academic research and industry application. The goal is to develop a cost-efficient, sustainable alternative to conventional disposable gloves by using polymers derived from waste products.
Professor Paul Topham of Aston University highlighted the importance of such collaborations. "We have a long history of working with industry, of translating fundamental research into solutions for real world problems," he said. "This project with PFE Medical provides us with that route, to take our science and engineering and make a difference to peoples' lives."
Rob Hartley, CEO of PFE Medical, expressed equal enthusiasm. "Our previous KTP with Aston University was a phenomenal success... I’m just as excited by this project, which is looking to solve an equally long-standing problem," he stated. "If we can achieve our goal, then the implications are huge, going far beyond the NHS to all the other situations where people are wearing disposable gloves."
Practical Application and Supply Chain Goals
Initially, the new biodegradable gloves will be deployed for low-risk tasks such as ultrasound scans, rather than in critical environments like operating theatres. This marks a significant first step in their adoption.
The project also addresses supply chain resilience. With most PPE currently sourced from manufacturers in China, a key objective is to establish a UK-based supply chain for producing these innovative gloves.
This glove initiative represents the third KTP between Aston University and PFE Medical. Their previous successful collaborations include developing an automated endoscope cleaner, which is now in use across the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB).
