Whether it be disposable face masks, surgical gloves, or hand sanitizer bottles, plastics have been used throughout to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Although health and safety are priorities, is it also important to keep in mind what happens to the medical plastics after use, which unfortunately often end up in landfills.
Whenever a lateral flow test is used to test a patient for COVID-19, roughly 10g of plastic is disposed of. For perspective, the US alone used an estimated 835.9 million tests between Jan 1, 2020, and May 19, 2022.
This is why London-based studio Morrama has designed Eco-flo, a test kit with sustainability at its core.
First, the non-invasive test lacks a plastic outer housing, swab, buffer capsule and mixing tube, significantly reducing the use of plastics. Secondly, it is made from FSC certified recyclable cellulose pulp and sealed with a biodegradable Nature Flex film sachet. According to Morrama, the test kit can decompose within 4-6 weeks.
“Existing lateral flow tests were a reaction to the threat of the pandemic and were rolled at-speed to enable at-home testing COVID-19 testing,: says Morrama. “As a result, there was less emphasis placed on the interaction and ease of use of the test and no consideration for the impact the tests have on the environment in either production or disposal.”
“Now we have an opportunity to correct these mistakes. Projecting forward to future pandemics, Eco-flo could be a simpler, more accessible and more sustainable option to aid in helping to keep people safe through instantaneous mass testing, designed with people and the planet in mind.”
All images in this article are courtesy of Morrama.
