Co-designing sustainable theatre garments for the NHS

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O'Reilly, Jonathan and Rodgers, Paul and Euan, Winton and Welsh, Lucy and Anderson, Carole and McGrath, Marsaili and Murden, Sophia (2025) Co-designing sustainable theatre garments for the NHS. In: NHS Scotland Event 2025, 2025-06-09 - 2025-06-09, Technology & Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde.

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Abstract

The NHS Scotland sustainability strategy aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 and reduce landfill waste, with at least 70% of waste recycled. One area of concern is the widespread use of single-use theatre garments, particularly disposable theatre caps. Around 800,000 disposable caps are used annually in Scottish hospitals, contributing significantly to medical waste, with some materials taking up to 300 years to decompose. This project, a collaboration between NHS Golden Jubilee, the University of Strathclyde, and Heriot-Watt University, focuses on developing 100% sustainable and biodegradable, reusable theatre caps made from plant-based cellulosic fibre. These caps are designed not only to reduce waste but also to enhance staff identification and alleviate patient anxiety through the careful use of different colour ways and pattern variations. The research is part of the wider Design HOPES project, which explores sustainability within NHS Scotland across a range of areas such as transport and buildings and land.

ORCID iDs

O'Reilly, Jonathan, Rodgers, Paul ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-191X, Euan, Winton, Welsh, Lucy, Anderson, Carole, McGrath, Marsaili and Murden, Sophia;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)