Lateral flow tests have transformed global healthcare by enabling rapid disease detection and improving access to medical diagnostics.
However, their widespread, single-use design is creating an environmental crisis.
A new study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation (WHO) calls for urgent action to limit plastic waste in these essential diagnostic tools.
Researchers from Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh propose limiting how much plastic is used in test kits to curb unnecessary plastic waste.
Their study, which analysed 21 different COVID-19 kits, highlights the significant variation in plastic usage and identifies opportunities for manufacturers to reduce material consumption without compromising effectiveness.
The weight of plastic varied from six grams to almost 40 grams per individual test.
Call to include maximum limits in test specifications
Companies or organisations that want to create lateral flow and similar tests use target product profiles.
These specify design elements that manufacturers must meet, whether cost, weight or size.
Professor Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas, co-lead of Heriot-Watt’s Global Research Institute in Health & Care Technologies, said: “We have found few target product profiles that mention the environmental impact of tests, and none provide quantitative measures
“We want these profiles to include a limit of four grams of plastic usage in the lateral flow tests cassettes, for example.
“Our study showed that was the average weight of plastic in test cassettes, so it’s achievable.”
“We hope this will be adopted as policy and an industry standard.”
Professor Alice Street, an expert in anthropology and health at the University of Edinburgh, added: “Improving access to essential medical testing should not come at the expense of environmental sustainability. Our findings show that reducing plastic waste in test kits is both feasible and necessary.”
Growing environmental impact
More than two billion lateral flow tests are produced annually.
In 2023 alone, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria invested in 53 million HIV tests and 321 million malaria tests.
While these tests expand access to healthcare, their plastic waste burdens waste management systems worldwide. In regions that lack proper disposal facilities, used test cassettes often end up in landfills and waterways or are openly burned, releasing pollutants. Even in developed nations, recycling these materials remains rare.
Pathways to greener diagnostics
The study suggests setting plastic usage limits in test kit manufacturing.
Professor Kersaudy-Kerhoas said: “The convenience of lateral flow tests is undeniable, but we must acknowledge the long-term environmental consequences of single-use diagnostics.
“If we do not act now, we risk creating an environmental crisis that undermines the health benefits these tests provide.”
The researchers urge policymakers, manufacturers, and global health organisations, including WHO, FIND, and PATH, to integrate environmental criteria into regulatory guidance and procurement processes.
By establishing sustainability benchmarks, they believe the industry can continue to provide essential diagnostics while reducing plastic waste.
Next steps
The Heriot-Watt team is calling for governments and health organisations to refine environmental standards in diagnostic manufacturing and implement policies that reduce reliance on virgin petrochemical plastics.
The full study, Mass of Components and Material Distribution in Lateral Flow Assay Kits, is available in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization (2025;103).
The Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies works closely with industry and sector partners to deliver innovative, sustainable and use-inspired solutions to global health challenges in a spirit of co-creation. It applies Heriot-Watt University’s world-leading research and engineering capabilities to tackle challenges in an ever-changing world.
Anyone interested in collaborating with the new Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies at Heriot-Watt University should contact the Global Research Innovation and Design team at GRID@hw.ac.uk.
Journal
Bulletin of the World Health Organization