ANIPH has released a new report that lays the groundwork for safer, more sustainable medical products used in crisis response. Developed by our partner GOPHA, Deliverable D2.2 “Mapping of Information and Labelling Systems (ILS)” provides a comprehensive overview of EU and international standards, certifications, and labelling practices relevant to biobased and biodegradable plastic products (BBpPs) used in medical and humanitarian operations.

With growing attention on environmentally responsible health supply chains, ANIPH’s work identifies how existing standards can support innovation, and where critical gaps remain. From sterile wound dressings to their packaging, medical products rely on effective information and labelling systems (ILS) to ensure safe handling, correct use, and responsible disposal. In humanitarian settings, where waste infrastructure can be limited, clarity and reliability of information are essential.

Key Findings of the Mapping

The ANIPH team reviewed European and international regulations, standards (ISO, ASTM, CEN), certification schemes, and sector-specific guidelines. Major insights include:

• Strong safety and technical coverage
  Standards under the EU Medical Device Regulation and international packaging frameworks cover sterility, performance, and traceability well.
• Environmental information is incomplete
  Existing biodegradability and compostability standards focus on controlled industrial conditions, not the uncontrolled disposal environments of humanitarian contexts.
• Social and usability dimensions are underrepresented
  Current labels often fail to account for multilingual users, low-literacy communities, or the stressful conditions of emergency response.
• Systemic inconsistencies persist
  Terminology, claims, and certifications vary across regions, creating confusion for procurement bodies and end-users alike.

These findings highlight the need for a tailored ILS framework that integrates Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) indicators, technical specifications, environmental performance, and user-centred communication.

Providing a foundation for ANIPH’s design, testing, and policy work

Given that the aim of ANIPH is to avoid the negative impacts produced by plastic materials in humanitarian contexts by developing safe and sustainable biobased and biodegradable plastic products (BBpPs), information and labelling systems (ILS) play a central role in achieving this aim.

The mapping exercise sets the reference point for the ANIPH project’s technical, environmental, and policy innovation. It identifies the specific data required to create a credible, context-ready ILS for biobased wound dressings and packaging, including:

• Safety and toxicity data from materials and additives
• Performance and durability information under field conditions
• Biodegradation and recyclability data from real-world disposal environments
• User-centred communication needs for clarity and acceptance

These insights will directly inform upcoming work on material development, product testing, end-of-life validation, and Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) assessment.

Deliverable D2.2 represents an important step towards ensuring that innovative biobased and biodegradable medical products can be safely adopted where they are most needed.

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Cover photo by Sigmund on Unsplash