Innovation and collaboration for reduced environmental impact
Innovative solutions and collaboration are needed throughout the entire value chain in order to respond to today’s and tomorrow’s environmental and social challenges. For the last few years, Evercare Medical has been developing a range of products that reduce negative environmental and social impact.
Evercare is one of the Group companies that develops and sells medical supplies under its own brands, Evercare, Selefa and Embra. Of these, Embra is particularly advanced in terms of having a lower environmental impact than comparable products.
Evercare Medical identifies new innovative solutions, sustain-able manufacturing methods and alternative raw materials as a way to reduce climate impact. They collaborate with raw material suppliers, third-party manufacturers, distributors and customers in a dynamic development process, in order to reduce climate impact while simultaneously maintaining product safety, quality and performance.
“We aim to find raw materials and innovative production processes that help us to reduce the environmental impact. All our products conform to Asker's Code of Conduct and quality requirements throughout the entire value chain. Embra takes it a step further when it comes to environmental impact. It’s our way of taking care of patients, caregivers and the future”, says Olof Bachman, Business Manager, Gloves & Protection at Evercare Medical.
About Embra
To be included in Embra’s range, the product must either have lower carbon dioxide emissions, contain recycled or renewable material, be reusable or comply with external environmental certifications.
Collaboration throughout the value chain – from “cradle to grave”
- Materials
Through the evaluation of different materials, resource consumption can be reduced and the proportion of renewable or recycled materials can be increased. For instance, the Embra Apron Bosco Green is made of 70 percent sugar cane ethanol, and Embra surgical caps are made of 80 percent viscose, which is a renewable material. The products are always tested by healthcare professionals before launch to ensure the right balance between functionality, comfort and materials.
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing of disposable items is often associated with high energy consumption. One of the reasons for testing and using new materials is that they can be a way to reduce energy consumption.* When products with a reduced environmental impact are developed, it is important to measure how much the environmental impact is reduced. Life cycle assessments (LCA) are used to identify where in a product’s life cycle the major impact takes place, and can help to ensure that the right outcomes are achieved. LCA’s are often carried out in conformance with the standards of the ISO 14040 series, or equivalent.
- Transportation
Evercare Medical proactively reduces its climate footprint from transport by optimising volumes and material weights, and by influencing the choice of transport, the fuels used and where the products are produced. Production can be relocated closer to customers if it does not affect the total cost of care or quality. As an example, the manufacturing of Embra surgical caps was moved to Europe in 2023.
- Usage and obsolete products
Evercare Medical and its partners have started to investigate new solutions within recycling and the waste management process, and if appropriate they replace disposable products with reusable products. There is great need to identify solutions to create a more circular economy within the healthcare sector.
* For example, the medical examination glove Embra Proceed is made from a completely nitrile-based material that requires less energy in the production process and therefore generates 27 percent lower CO2e than Evercare Medical’s standard nitrile glove Selefa Sense Blue.
