Sustainability Statement 2023

Environmental sustainability has become an increasingly important issue in today’s society. As a responsible company, we recognize the need to take action to minimize our impact on the environment and ensure a sustainable future. This policy outlines our commitment to environmental sustainability and the actions we will take to achieve our goals.

Environmental Responsibility

We are committed to being environmentally responsible and reducing our carbon footprint. We will comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, and strive to exceed them wherever possible. We will continually assess our operations and identify areas where we can reduce our environmental impact.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

We will reduce waste and increase recycling wherever possible. We will minimize the amount of waste we generate by adopting practices such as reducing paper usage, minimizing packaging, and promoting the use of electronic communication. We will ensure that all waste is disposed of responsibly and that recyclable materials are recycled.

Energy Conservation

We will reduce our energy consumption and promote energy conservation. We will minimize energy use by turning off lights and equipment when not in use, using energy-efficient appliances and lighting, and using renewable energy sources where possible. We will continually monitor our energy use and identify areas for improvement.

Water Conservation

We will conserve water and promote water conservation. We will minimize water use by adopting practices such as fixing leaks, using water-efficient appliances, and promoting water conservation measures. We will continually monitor our water use and identify areas for improvement.

Sustainable Procurement

We will prioritize the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable products in our procurement process. We will give preference to suppliers who share our commitment to environmental sustainability and use sustainable materials and production methods.

Employee Engagement

We will engage our employees in our commitment to environmental sustainability. We will promote environmental awareness and encourage our employees to adopt sustainable practices both at work and in their personal lives.

Continuous Improvement

We will continually monitor our environmental performance and identify areas for improvement. We will set targets and goals for reducing our environmental impact and regularly review our progress towards achieving them.

We believe that by adopting this policy and implementing sustainable practices, we can reduce our impact on the environment and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Why the Hegenberger Retractor is single use plastic.

Plastics are vital in the manufacture of many medical devices. Plastics have had a revolutionary impact on the medical industry, making procedures simpler and safer and reducing medical costs Their unique characteristics such as the density and temperature tolerance enable products to be purpose designed and produced much quicker and cheaper than their metal counterparts.

Single use vs re-sterilising.

Single-use surgical retractors reduce the risk of patient-to-patient cross-contamination as well as saving the time and cost involved in reprocessing. The traditional alternative to single-use kits is reusable instruments, which by their very nature have inherent risks when it comes to infection of patients.

False economy around reusable V single use retractors.

Single-use instruments are designed to be cost-effective, safe and ready to use at the point of care. The perceived cost saving in reusable metal retractors are negligible once purchase cost, manual handling, storage, washing, sterilising and transport has been factored in.

Reusable medical instruments also pose inherent concerns regarding their maintenance, storage and repeated use, all of which are often exacerbated by reprocessing and sterilisation procedures. Many surgical instrument failures occur as a result of healthcare practitioners failing to follow manufacturers’ reprocessing and handling instructions.

Common errors include, but are not limited to:

Lack of sinks to soak, wash and rinse the instruments.

Not having all the manufacturer’s instructions to hand.

Staff not following all the manufacturer’s written instructions.

Not using ultrasonic cleaners properly.

Not thoroughly inspecting instruments prior or post re processing.

Not using inspection lamps or lenses.

Not storing sterile items in a separate, controlled area.

Retractor weight is important.

Single-use surgical retractors are much lighter (Hegenberger Retractor 35g) than reusable retractors made of steel. Better for transport, better for packaging, better for environment, better for surgeon and ultimately, better for the patient.

Manufacturing.

The Hegenberger Retractor is manufactured in Sweden by Cetro AB Medical who are ISO 14001:2015 certified. This is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organizations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources, reduction of waste and manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner that contributes to the environmental pillar of sustainability.

The future – We are continually researching the feasibility of using plant based ecologically friendly alternatives to plastic that have the same essential strength and safety characteristics.