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The world’s biggest onion: Implementing sustainability practices

Boston Scientific gives Med-Tech Innovation News some insight into the areas they have identified to make the company more sustainable. 

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What areas did you identify that you felt could make the company more sustainable, and how do you define "sustainability?"

We were the first large medical device manufacturer to commit to carbon neutrality by 2030 (back in 2017) in our key manufacturing and distribution sites (scope 1 and 2 emissions). We have committed to net-zero carbon emissions across our entire value chain by 2050, by joining the United Nations Race to Zero, and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Business ambition for 1.5 degrees C campaign.

Other facts that may be of interest:

Was there a review of how devices were manufactured, and materials sourced to lead you to try and reduce any "carbon footprint" or "waste"?

These are scope 3 emissions, and we are working with our suppliers to reduce the emissions outside of our direct control, such as these, as part of our previously mentioned commitment to net-zero carbon emissions across our entire value chain by 2050, having joined the United Nations Race to Zero, and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Business ambition for 1.5 degrees C campaign, who externally validate your submissions for Scope 3 reductions.

Some companies are at the beginning of this journey, how difficult is it to implement a plan to alter practices to make things more "sustainable"?

Moving from a linear to a circular economy, where you re-use, recycle, remake, etc, versus previous linear economy of take, make, use, dispose, in the world of medical devices is not an easy, nor speedy, move to make.

We must pay attention to many simple things, such as correct waste disposal, extending the life of products, ordering, and opening only what we need, and getting to place where ‘just in time’ ordering moves to something more organised, before we immediately jump to ‘single use is bad, move to re-useable.’

We as manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure our products are both safe and effective, and they are manufactured of particular components, in specific formulations, to ensure such things as sterility, and reliability. What we can do, is look to how best to recycle specific components with lots of embedded carbon, such as precious metals, and look in the longer term to ensure our polymers are not mixed, for example (unless the properties of the product cannot be ensured any other way) and therefore are ‘possible’ to recycle.

We should look to other sectors who are ahead on this journey to advise, and not make assumptions!

This can be called the world’s biggest onion, as you peel back a layer and find unintended consequences everywhere. Hence, looking to simple things first like minimising waste, segregating waste correctly, slowing down deliveries, making less deliveries, etc.

"The principles of circularity are you make something; you use it and the way the health system operates is the opposite of circularity" - how do you square that particular circle when it comes to developing and designing new medtech products that cater for healthcare's needs whilst being sustainable?

We will need to get this right, patient safety is paramount.  But we can do better when it comes to breaking down components and recycling them and reducing wasteful practices and habits in our health systems, looking through the lens of sustainability!

Businesses may not have developed their products and ideas with sustainability and reusability in mind - does this mean manufacturers like yourselves had to look beyond just better manufacturing practices... e.g change of business model?

We have developed them with patient safety and reliability in mind. We now need to overlay that with a sustainability lens and see where we can achieve all three things. Patient safety first. We have to go through great regulatory and clinical evidentiary hoops to bring a product to market, you can’t just ‘change it’ overnight!

Recycling is usually the one-word answer when it comes to sustainability - what examples can you provide which can answer this question?

As well as what has been outlined, we can start to look as industry to establish recycling best practice in healthcare as a start, looking to minimise precious metal and other components of great value and embedded carbon first. The whole system will have to work together to achieve this, and look to other sectors to advise, and regulations to adapt to allow it.

The NHS is the world’s first Health System to commit to Net Zero goals.

Those of us working here in the UK have a pathfinding place to move the needle, in a meaningful and safe way, in the world of medical devices. We will be working together with other companies and industry bodies such as the ABHI to find practical and meaningful solutions to safe and environmentally sustainable patient care over the coming years. We will all need to work together. None of us has all the answers, but we must show willing, and be prepared to try. 

We can make immediate improvements! We can make a difference, and we foresee a level of cross-industry and cross-sector collaboration as never before to achieve this. The health system in the UK is responsible for 5.4% of the GHG emissions of the country, so it is vital that we do this!

We don’t pretend to have all the answers; remember, it’s the world’s biggest onion! However, we and other collaborators are full of good intent, and those working in this field, care, and want to make a difference, from all of the companies that we work with and discuss future possibilities with, in the world of healthtech.

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