New research from fertility wellness brand, OVUM, has found that a staggering 150 tonnes¹ of pregnancy tests end up in landfill every year – equivalent to a large plane, specifically, a Boeing 787.
The femtech industry sells around 12.5 million pregnancy tests annually in the UK², and with most couples conceiving within a year of trying³, and likely using at least two tests per cycle, they are using, on average, 24 tests in a year.
Following this, OVUM, which has brought to market the world-first fully recyclable pregnancy test, has revealed the top ten locations which are likely to be sending the most plastic test waste to landfill, based on the number of recorded live births in that area during 2021⁴:
- Kent (16,633 births)
- Essex (16,215 births)
- Birmingham (14,477 births)
- Hertfordshire (13,495 births)
- Hampshire (13,468 births)
- Surrey (12,451 births)
- Lancashire (12,035 births)
- Leeds (8,784 births)
- West Sussex (8,515 births)
- Staffordshire (8,280 births)
According to OVUM’s research, Kent is likely the top location in the UK for sending the most pregnancy tests to landfill based on their birth rate. With a total of 16,633 recorded births in 2021 and the average length of trying to conceive accumulating to one year for most, and assuming 24 tests were used per couple within this time, 399,192 pregnancy tests could have been sent to landfill in this area during this period⁵.
Over the years, there has been little innovation in pregnancy tests. Aside from products becoming more sophisticated and digitally capable, the materials of the test have largely remained the same – contributing to a significant amount of plastic piling up in landfills and oceans.
Co-Founder of OVUM, and Pro Endurance Athlete, Jenny Wordsworth comments: “The medical diagnostic industry contributes significantly to plastic waste, and we recognise the serious threat that plastic pollution poses to the future of our planet.
“At OVUM, we’re proud to be the world’s first 100% recyclable early-detection pregnancy test, as well as being certified as plastic negative by rePurpose. Companies need to realise that they can do both – cater to the needs of their customers, while also being environmentally conscious.”
Essex comes second in OVUM’s new ranking for the locations sending the most pregnancy tests to landfill. With 16,215 recorded births in 2021, this East of England county could have sent a staggering 389,160 tests to landfill.
Unfortunately, this type of plastic can take ten to thirty years to decompose in a landfill, and even after this, tiny microplastics will be left behind, which can contaminate food, air and water. Subsequently, microplastics can increase the risk of chronic inflammation and other illnesses⁶.
Birmingham recorded 14,477 births in the 2021 period. With this in mind, and assuming 24 pregnancy tests were used per couple over a year of trying to conceive, this suggests that the city has thrown away 347,448 pregnancy tests in one year.
While cities like Birmingham have recycling initiatives in place to encourage residents to recycle by providing incentives such as vouchers, discounts, and cashback offers, residents cannot take advantage of such schemes while trying to conceive, as pregnancy tests can’t be recycled due to the materials used and the potential for contamination.
Other locations sending the most pregnancy tests to landfill according to their birth rate include Hertfordshire (13,495 births), Hampshire (13,468 births), Surrey (12,451 births), Lancashire (12,035 births), Leeds (8,784 births), West Sussex (8,515 births), and Staffordshire (8,280 births).
Jenny adds: “For too long, the woman who is trying to conceive has been ignored, so we’re proud to launch the UK’s first and only fully recyclable midstream pregnancy test. Ensuring our tests were fully recyclable was a non-negotiable for us. With this product, we mark the end of pregnancy tests ending in landfill, and this test is destined to become a best-in-class and clear disruptor brand to Clearblue.
“Alongside this, the FDA-Approved Pregnancy Tests have a sensitivity of 10mIU/ml. Securing FDA approval was vital as the US performance criteria for the accuracy of early detection tests are stricter than those in the UK.”
“It’s also important to mention that recognising the negative impact plastic pregnancy tests have on the environment isn’t about making the trying-to-conceive community feel guilty for testing regularly, rather, it’s a call to other fertility diagnostics organisations to do better in ensuring their products are environmentally sound where possible, like OVUM’s tests.”