Concentrated Impact – Rethinking Dialysate Delivery

🎤 Speakers:
Rodrigo Martínez Cadenas, Jiménez Díaz Foundation & Autonomous University of Madrid
Jan (Chang-Lung Tsai), UMC Utrecht

This month’s session explores the unseen environmental impact behind a critical component of haemodialysis: dialysate delivery. Two rising researchers with backgrounds in data science, engineering, and sustainability will guide us through how infrastructure and innovation can shift the environmental equation of kidney care.

🔬 Talk 1: From Canisters to Carbon – The Environmental Footprint of Dialysate Packaging
Rodrigo Martínez Cadenas, bioinformatician at Fundación Jiménez Díaz and PhD candidate at UAM, investigates how everyday materials used in dialysis—like acid concentrate containers—can carry surprising environmental consequences. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) across 15 Spanish dialysis centers, he traces the environmental journey of these containers from production to disposal. With a background in data science and sustainability, and as a contributor to the EU-funded KitNewCare project, Rodrigo brings a fresh, systems-level perspective on how small operational choices can unlock big opportunities for greener kidney care.

🔄 Talk 2: EcoMixing for Change – Circular Solutions in Dialysis Delivery
Jan (Chang-Lung) Tsai, PhD candidate at UMC Utrecht, explores how circular design can transform the environmental footprint of dialysis care. With a background in biomedical and mechanical engineering, and years of experience in Taiwan’s medical device industry, Jan brings a practical and innovation-focused lens to sustainability. His talk centers on the EcoMix system—an in-hospital solution for dialysate delivery—and reveals what happens when hospitals shift from single-use logistics to circular infrastructure. Drawing from the ESCH-R project, Jan shares lessons from implementation and offers a glimpse into what greener dialysis could look like worldwide.

🧪 Together, the talks will explore:

• How dialysate delivery systems influence the sustainability of kidney care
• The role of LCA in quantifying environmental impact
• Circular economy solutions adapted for clinical practice
• Practical pathways toward greener haemodialysis

🌍 Whether you're in clinical practice, health systems management, engineering, or research—this session offers actionable insights into building a more sustainable future for kidney care.