NEWS & INSIGHT
contributing to a significant waste burden, particularly in low and middle-income countries. The platform therefore invites manufacturers and suppliers worldwide to showcase their bio-based solutions free of charge, expanding the sector’s access to sustainable alternatives. The initial focus is on five high-priority product groups: personal protective equipment such as gloves, gowns and boots, syringes and needles, sharps containers, body bags and temporary water/sludge bladders. As the platform evolves, additional product categories will be added. Commenting on the launch, Hanken’s Gyöngyi Kovács, principal investigator and co-ordinator of the WORM project, said: “This platform is a vital step towards addressing the environmental impact of humanitarian operations. By bringing together humanitarian institutions, suppliers and sustainability experts, we are creating a space for innovation and co-operation in an effort to ‘green’ the sector.” CD “The platform will help institutions access and utilise bio‑based products in critical response operations and health programmes around the world”
NEW SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS PLATFORM LAUNCHED FOR HUMANITARIAN & HEALTH SECTORS
health programmes around the world and involves the collaboration of 16 international bodies. The launch is part of the Waste in Humanitarian Options: Reduction and Minimisation project, or WORM for short, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of humanitarian operations. Powered by Dutch social enterprise Solvoz, the platform offers an open-access knowledge portal and catalogue, along with an integrated market assessment tool designed to support humanitarian organisations, health workers and sustainability experts. Globally, the humanitarian and health sectors use billions of single- use products each year, such as gloves, syringes and protective gear,
SCHOOL Hanken School of Economics COUNTRY Finland
new initiative co‑ordinated by the Humlog Institute at Hanken School of Economics is set to
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transform the landscape of sustainable solutions for the humanitarian and health sectors worldwide. The platform, called the Bio-Based Solutions Catalogue, will help institutions access and utilise bio-based products in critical response operations and
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Business Impact • ISSUE 4 • 2024
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