Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is often viewed as a more sustainable alternative in kidney care — but how sustainable is it really?
Join us this month as we dive into the real environmental footprint of PD with two insightful sessions from the EU-funded KitNewCare project. From high-resolution Life Cycle Assessments to everyday innovations in Spanish clinics, this session will unpack what greener PD actually looks like in practice.
🧪 Talk 1 – Life Cycle of Peritoneal Dialysis: Mapping the Footprint
Speaker: James Larkin, PhD Researcher at Trinity College Dublin, is a design-led sustainability researcher working at the intersection of healthcare, systems thinking, and environmental analysis. With a background in Product Design and Technology, his PhD focuses on mapping and reducing the environmental footprint of kidney care.
His recent work includes a comprehensive LCA of PD treatment across multiple clinical settings, offering a clear picture of environmental hotspots and practical pathways for greener dialysis. Passionate about making data actionable, James collaborates with clinicians, engineers, and policymakers to advance sustainable innovations in nephrology.
🧪 Talk Summary:
In this session, we’ll unpack the full environmental footprint of peritoneal dialysis. Drawing on detailed LCA modelling, we’ll explore:
🌍 The carbon, water, and material impacts across the PD treatment pathway
📦 The outsized environmental role of procurement and packaging
🛠 Talk 2 – Greening PD: What We’ve Done, What’s Next
Speakers:
- Dr. Marina González de Rivera, Nephrologist at Fundación Jiménez Díaz (Madrid), leads the peritoneal dialysis programme at Fundación Jiménez Díaz (FJD). A key contributor to the KitNewCare project, Marina helped design the LCA model for PD and leads environmental improvements within her unit, including the use of incremental dialysis and conservative management.
- Dr. Blanca Tarragón, Nephrologist, joined the FJD Healthcare Research Institute after a clinical research fellowship at the Glomerular Center at Columbia University. At FJD she contributes to the implementation of sustainability interventions in nephrology and supports hospital-wide efforts toward a greener healthcare system.
💬 In this talk, Marina and Blanca will share:
🧪 Real-world interventions already implemented in their PD unit
🚧 Challenges and barriers to greener practices in clinical settings
🔍 Planned optimizations and reflections on feasibility in daily practice
💡 Whether you're a clinician, researcher, policymaker or sustainability advocate — this session is for you.
This session looks fantastic. Unfortunately I have clinical commitments at this time. Will this be recorded?
Thank you Maria! Yes, it will be recorded and be available also in this network
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