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Sustainability start-ups are innovating for a healthy planet

From social media to semiconductors, and from US giants such as Apple and Amazon to leading Asian players such as Panasonic and TikTok, employing more than 37,000 people and generating more than €35 billion in export revenues every year, the Irish tech sector is thriving.

Tackling the environmental crisis gripping the planet demands new and imaginative thinking. Some progress can be achieved by adapting current practices, but there's no escaping the fact that a cascade of ground-breaking innovations is required if we are to make an impact on cutting carbon emissions, protecting the oceans, and drastically reducing biodiversity loss.

Bupa Chief Medical Officer Paula Franklin discusses the future of sustainable healthcare with a panel of experts

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The Bupa eco-Disruptive Live event drew together start-ups, investors and sustainability experts

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The digital future of healthcare

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As a global healthcare company, Bupa reached the conclusion that if it truly cares about the health of its customers, then it is under an obligation to care about the health of the planet as the two are inextricably linked.

There are benefits for Bupa, too, as the company learns from the agile and disruptive nature of start-ups, embedding these qualities deeper into its business practices.

Bupa eco-Disruptive Live, a celebration of the programme’s 2022 start-ups which took place on 12 July, showcased some of the most disruptive sustainability innovations which have been identified by the company.

The inspiring ideas include Clearbot, which maintains ocean health by cleaning the water’s surface, and UNDO, using the process of rock weathering to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Other pioneering start-ups include Energym, creator of an exercise bike capable of generating electricity and Legit.Health, which uses artificial intelligence to detect and monitor more than 232 visible skin conditions.

“Innovation is vital to solving the challenges of sustainability, and the new wave of sustainability start-ups need to be given opportunities to grow,” says Iñaki Ereño, Chief Executive Officer at Bupa Group.

A healthy planet needs game-changing innovators, and businesses like Bupa are forging partnerships with a burgeoning network of sustainability start-ups as they look to pioneer new technologies aimed at addressing the sustainability challenges we face today.

The start-up ideas range from biodegradable bags that dissolve in water to a system for recycling waste anaesthetic gases. Such novel approaches are especially crucial for the healthcare sector, which accounts for 4.4% of global carbon emissions. Sustainability start-ups tend to be run by passionate innovators committed to finding solutions to the challenges of sustainability. But they need support in bringing their idea to life and scaling up their innovations for wider use.

Accelerator programmes such as eco-Disruptive aim to offer exactly the sort of encouragement required to get start-ups' ideas off the ground and into action.

“Climate challenges cannot be solved in isolation, and we must work with others to amplify our role in becoming a net zero business. That’s why we’re giving our support to start-ups who are pioneering technologies that have the potential to transform how we address the sustainability challenges we all face.”

Eco-Disruptive has run annually since 2021 and brings together teams of Bupa staff to scout the market for innovative start-ups in sustainable healthcare. Hundreds of such start-ups are evaluated by these teams and eventually whittled down to 18. Through a selection process where Bupa staff vote for their preferred start-ups, a winner is chosen and awarded £200,000 (or local currency equivalent) to develop their idea.

The SageTech Medical team pioneering the capture of waste anaesthetic gases

To offer a helping hand to these sustainability start-ups, Bupa has launched eco-Disruptive, a global talent and innovation programme. Aimed at nurturing relationships with innovators who are addressing the health sector’s sustainability challenges, eco-Disruptive shines a spotlight on fascinating new approaches to protecting the environment.

See the pull-out boxes for other notable start-ups on the eco-Disruptive programme.

Many large businesses have attempted to create their own innovation laboratories that mimic the agile working practices of start-ups, and some have found success. But accelerator programmes like Bupa’s have the advantage of throwing open the field to external pioneers with good ideas who simply need an opportunity to get noticed and get funded.

Cassava Bags

Cassava Bags Australia has a noble goal: to eradicate plastic waste from the world and its oceans. Using starch from the abundantly growing cassava root, the company creates biodegradable and compostable bags that closely resemble plastic. Sturdy and versatile, the bags can withstand weights of up to 25kg. They dissolve completely in boiling water within minutes, and decompose in waterways within 5 days, leaving behind no waste. Cassava Bags already have multiple uses, including for cups, mail bags, pet waste bags, bin liners and carrier bags. Bupa and Cassava Bags Australia have signed a Supply Agreement for biodegradable bags and other products and have begun replacing clinical head rest covers and bin liners across Bupa’s Australian offices.

Upcycled Medical

SageTech Medical (UK)

Solum

Upcycled Medical's ambitious vision is to end plastic pollution. The company is setting out to achieve this by making medical clothing from recycled PET plastic waste collected from the sea. Instead of using crude oil to make new plastic, the company aims to turn existing waste plastic into upcycled medical wear such as medical scrubs, gowns, and workwear for hospitals. The start-up is also using recycled plastic pellets for products such as shopping bags, designer clothing and other merchandise. 4,000 tonnes of waste can make 13,300 metres of fabric, saving 36% on carbon, 39% on energy and 34% on water. Bupa is working with Upcycled Medical’s high sterile scrubs and aprons at the company’s Cromwell Hospital in London.

SageTech Medical offers hospitals a simple way to reduce their carbon footprint. By capturing and recycling waste anaesthetic gases generated during medical procedures, SageTech Medical promises to help prevent the release of harmful waste agents into the atmosphere. The human body uses only 5% of the anaesthetic gases used in operations and the remaining 95% is pumped into the atmosphere as waste. These are potent greenhouse gases and account for a substantial portion of all healthcare emissions.

Solum is a Spanish start-up that has created solar-powered pavements to generate energy for electric scooters and bikes. Solum charging stations can be moved through the city like pop-ups and installed in a single day with only two workers. The pavement has an installed capacity of over 1KW for six square meters of surface. Photovoltaic cells are integrated into the construction materials. Solum’s ambition is to scale the product worldwide. Bupa is looking at how the technology could help to create recharging stations around its buildings.

Cassava Bags

“At Bupa we run hundreds of clinics, care homes and dental clinics across the world, so in certain cases we can help these start-ups to scale their ideas by introducing their products into our business. This is in addition to having our people work with them in dedicated squads to help them develop ideas and opportunities. We offer them our backing to help them succeed,” says Ereño.

“At Bupa, we recognise that the health of the planet and human health are inextricably linked. If our planet isn’t healthy, the chances are that we won’t be either,” says Nigel Sullivan, Chief Sustainability and People Officer at Bupa.

“We are also looking to embed relevant innovations into our healthcare services where possible. So far this includes working with the start-up Upcycled Medical to introduce medical clothing made from post-consumer plastic waste collected from oceans and landfill as well as introducing environmentally friendly substitutes for plastic bags and clinical headrests made from cassava roots from the start-up Cassava Bags,” says Ereño.

“Sustainability is a vital issue for Bupa, and we are heavily investing in this area. The eco-Disruptive programme forms a key part of our efforts and is central to our purpose of creating longer, healthier, and happier lives. Our mission for the future is to become an even more sustainable, forward-thinking organisation that drives environmental innovation and leads the way to a healthier society.”

The innovators of today are pioneering new sustainability practices that will help protect the planet while also helping people to stay healthy in the face of climate change.

Bupa Group CEO Iñaki Ereño talks to TV’s Deborah Meaden in front of a model world made of biodegradable Cassava Bags

To ensure the greatest possible success for the planet, each finalist receives £25,000 (or local currency equivalent) to support the development of their minimum viable product. They also benefit from advice and support from teams of Bupa employees, who lend their expertise in crucial areas of business development as well as co-creating ideas.

Disclaimer: The Reuters news staff had no role in the production of this content. It was created by Reuters Plus, the brand marketing studio of Reuters. To work with Reuters Plus, contact us here.

Upcycled Medical

Solum

Cassava Bags

SageTech Medical (UK)

Cassava Bags

Upcycled Medical

SageTech Medical (UK)