MedTech Series x Envetec
In the move to a greener era, waste is always a topic of discussion. Improper waste management can hinder the environment in a number of ways, from land degradation to air pollution stemming from incineration. Globally, the healthcare industry produces thousands of tonnes of waste each year, and 15% of this is considered hazardous material that may be infectious, chemical, or radioactive.
RECYCLING BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE
HOW ENVETEC IS RE-THINKING LABORATORIES APPROACH TO WASTE
As opposed to current practices that have significant environmental impacts, Envetec is taking an eco-friendlier approach with their disruptive CleanTech solution that is reshaping how biohazardous laboratory waste is managed.
We spoke to Sunny Uberoi, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, and Conor Connolly, VP of Business Development, to investigate this emergent technology and uncover how they are supporting laboratories across the globe.
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A New Approach
Health services have an integral role to play in avoiding negative environmental change and are intrinsically linked to the consequences of climate change. As the Earth experiences continued global warming, people’s health is directly impacted, and this relays back to the health service that deals with this additional pressure.
The UK’s health service contributes to around 4-5% of total UK carbon emissions and therefore has the responsibility to reduce emissions and waste to safeguard the health of future generations.
“At Envetec, we’re on a mission to transform how laboratories handle biohazardous waste, especially single-use plastics. With laboratories generating an estimated 12 billion pounds of plastic waste globally each year underscored by legacy treatment methods, the Envetec team designed and engineered the GENERATIONS® technology to tackle the increasingly adverse effects of lab waste on both the environment and local communities.
We introduced GENERATIONS—our innovative technology—within weeks of the pandemic. It embodies a decade of research and development, conducted in collaboration with industry and hospitals. GENERATIONS was meticulously designed and rigorously tested by laboratory specialists, offering the laboratory community a fresh approach to safely managing biohazardous waste while helping our customers significantly achieve their sustainability objectives.” – Conor Connolly
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SOLVING THE WASTE DILEMMA
As a society, we understand that all industries are contributing to climate change and require a complete step change in practices to limit carbon emission release. However, healthcare presents its own challenges when it comes to the climate crisis. Conor Connolly explores the challenge that is faced.
“The healthcare sector significantly contributes to the climate crisis, accounting for 4.4% of global net emissions according to a report by Healthcare Without Harm. For instance, facilities like human diagnostic laboratories consume ten times more energy and four times more water than standard work environments.
Another substantial element of the healthcare industry’s carbon footprint is the creation of biohazardous waste, which poses a significant challenge. Enormous quantities of biohazardous waste are generated daily, requiring transportation to disposal sites. The subsequent autoclaving and incineration processes release large amounts of CO2e. Typically, this waste ultimately ends up disposed of as ash or treated waste. In the U.K., clinical waste treatment within the NHS alone emits approximately 100,000 tonnes of CO2e annually.
Biohazardous waste is far from uniform, and conventional methods of treatment include high energy steam sterilisation and/or incineration. At Envetec, a significant portion of our research and development is analyzing the complexities of laboratory waste streams from diverse sectors spanning hospitals, diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals.
Using our knowledge of these waste streams we have developed an intelligent blade system purposely design to treat biohazardous materials. These blades are meticulously engineered to ensure the complete shredding of all pertinent materials.”