Sustainable healthcare: Medsalv
by Metropol | July 23, 2025 8:30 am
Healthcare shouldn’t harm the planet yet right now, it does. One Christchurch company is changing that.
Every day, hospitals and clinics across Australia and New Zealand generate thousands of tonnes of waste. Globally, the healthcare sector is responsible for around seven per cent of all carbon emissions. From energy-intensive supply chains to the short-lived lifespan of disposable medical devices, our health systems are designed to care for the patient but not for the planet.
Christchurch company Medsalv, a certified B Corp business, is changing that. It aims to save New Zealand’s health system $100 million each year by stopping 1700 tonnes of medical waste going to landfills.
Founded in 2017 by Oliver Hunt (pictured) during his postgraduate engineering studies at the University of Canterbury, Medsalv is tackling healthcare’s waste problem head-on. The company is returning used ‘single-use’ devices to as-new condition, so they can be safely used again. In addition, this saves hospitals up to 60 per cent off the cost of a new device. “Medsalv was born with a single purpose; to make healthcare more sustainable. We’re still working on it,” says Oliver.
“Our health systems are here to look after people. But we need them to care for the planet too. That’s the future of healthcare and we’re proud to be enabling that change.”
Rethinking waste: the circular model
At the heart of Medsalv’s work is a practical idea: remanufacturing. Instead of hospitals sending used devices straight to landfill, Medsalv collects, inspects, cleans, tests, and repackages them – ensuring they meet the same rigorous clinical and safety standards as a new device before being returned for reuse.
The impact is staggering. Hospitals using Medsalv’s remanufactured devices, which in Canterbury include Christchurch Public and Burwood Hospitals, Bidwill Hospital, and Timaru Hospital, have seen waste-to-landfill reduced by up to 92.8%. It’s a cost-effective solution that supports hospital budgets and delivers for the local economy through social sustainability. More than 50% of Medsalv’s staff have overcome a barrier to employment such as disability or health issues.
What began in Christchurch expanded across New Zealand however, largely blocked by government healthcare agency Pharmac from expanding further in the public sector, Medsalv has picked up its impact in Australia. Medsalv operates two state-of-the-art remanufacturing facilities: one in Christchurch and one in Geelong, Victoria. Since its launch, the social enterprise has saved more than half a million devices (650,800 and counting) from going to landfill. Medsalv is a model for how industries can embrace circular thinking without compromising safety or quality. As climate, waste, and international supply chain concerns continue to grow, innovation like this is critical for building a more sustainable healthcare sector.
Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/sustainable-healthcare-medsalv/