Finding the Balance of Sustainability and Safety with Single-Use Medical Products

Single use medical products play an important role in the world. Making sure such devices are used in a sustainable way is an easy way to stay green and keep patients safe at the same time.

Useful Products

If you’ve been in a hospital or other setting, you’ve probably noticed lots of single use medical devices. These are products that are widely used for everything from vaccines to an IV. While they help make sure that every single patient gets the best care possible, they can also create problems in the long term. Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken in order to reduce the effects of these products on the planet.

eWaste and Climate Change

As the experts at GetSmarter remind their clients, “Sustainable business strategies can improve employee loyalty and retention. This is true of the medical field. Any medical company should be aware that the use of plastics can impact the planet in a negative way. Business sustainability practices are easy to implement. Managing waste from any medical device should take place all throughout the process of creating quality single-use medical products.

Factors to Bear In Mind

Multiple factors go into creating these devices for use by the public. That’s why it helps to come up with a master plan that takes a look at the entire process from start to finish.

For example, start by thinking about the kind of materials being used in the device before it goes to market. Maybe you can use biological materials rather than simple plastics. The same is true of items like glass that can be used instead and then recycled.

Another way to be as light on the earth as possible is to think about the design of the device itself. There are lots of ways that you can tweak the design that will help reduce the waste it generates but still keep it effective.

You can also focus closely on the manufacturing process. There are many ways that you can make the item while also ensuring that it is done in a green manner. For example, a factory that relies on green sources of power is one way to keep everything green in the end.

Other factors should also come under consideration when you are trying to keep waste to a minimum. You’ll want to keep all packaging as small as you can. This means avoiding unnecessary packing that only holds air rather than the item. It also means thinking about how you are going to dispose of the product once people are finished using it. It’s also ideal to have a long look at the entire process from start to finish. While some products are best used for only one use, you might find that a given device is better when used as a reusable product instead.

These simple choices are the best way to combine respect for the environment with the need to keep medical devices safe.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.