Co-designing sustainable scrubs with NHS Scotland : material futures and net-zero healthcare design

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Urquhart, Lewis William Robert and Rodgers, Paul and Taylor, Niki and Welsh, Lucy and Winton, Euan; Dutil, Natalie and Virgini, Sarah, eds. (2025) Co-designing sustainable scrubs with NHS Scotland : material futures and net-zero healthcare design. In: Global Research in Action. World Design Organization, GBR, pp. 55-62. ISBN 9781777019235

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Abstract

As global healthcare systems confront the climate emergency, design emerges as a strategic tool for systemic transformation. This paper presents a design-led initiative within NHS Scotland to reimagine hospital scrubs - ubiquitous yet overlooked garments - through co-design, material innovation, and circular systems thinking. Drawing on NHS Scotland’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy, the project explores how redesigning scrubs can reduce carbon emissions, enhance workplace dignity, and challenge procurement norms. Through participatory methods, including a co-design pop-up at Golden Jubilee Hospital, the research uncovers critical issues in fit, identity, and material sustainability. By proposing plant-based alternatives and ethical procurement models, this work positions scrubs as a strategic entry point for net-zero healthcare, demonstrating how design can catalyze cultural, environmental, and institutional change.

ORCID iDs

Urquhart, Lewis William Robert ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9773-8225, Rodgers, Paul ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-191X, Taylor, Niki, Welsh, Lucy and Winton, Euan; Dutil, Natalie and Virgini, Sarah
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)