Research

The production, circulation, and disposal of single-use medical plastics pose significant risks to human and environmental health. These products are often difficult to recycle, release harmful toxins when incinerated and have a substantial carbon footprint, making the healthcare sector comparable to the fifth largest country in terms of emissions.

After the Single Use brings together anthropologists and historians to address this challenge, employing innovative methods to explore how disposability became normal, analyse the lifecycles of single-use plastics, and collaborate with stakeholders to develop sustainable healthcare solutions.

Across eight countries, the research team explore the historical contingencies through which single-use has become normalised, the circulations of single-use devices through places and relationships, and the collaborations entailed in developing more sustainable health care futures.