Arjo ReNu: a recycling solution that reduces the climate impact of healthcare
Medical consumables comprise a large proportion of the total climate impact of healthcare. As such, recycling solutions provide significant opportunities to reduce emissions.
“The reuse of consumables is becoming increasingly common in line with the healthcare sector scaling up its sustainability initiatives. During the Pandemic, this also became a way of dealing with material shortages due to disruptions in the supply chain,” says Julien Bouchard, Senior Director Operations & VP Operations Arjo ReNu.
Arjo ReNu is currently available in the US and Australia and helps healthcare providers to safely and economically reuse consumables. Over 280,000 products are handled each month such as garments for the prevention of blood clots (venous thromboembolism, VTE. ).
“Through Arjo ReNu, we contribute to more sustainable healthcare while helping our customers achieve their sustainability ambitions. The circular business model reduces the need for raw materials, requires less transportation and reduces waste,” says Julien Bouchard.
Many established methods for reuse include chemicals with substances that are hazardous to the environment and health. Arjo ReNu uses a completely water-based process that is chemical free.
In 2023, a life cycle assessment was conducted for the US market demonstrating that reusing VTE garments using the Arjo ReNu process reduces climate impact by 54–64 percent compared with single use. In total, Arjo ReNu has made it possible to avoid carbon emissions from VTE garments corresponding to 165 tons per year thanks to the processing of about 3.4 million medical consumables in 2023 alone, of which about 1 million were garments.
“The analysis shows that the process extends the lifetime of garments that would otherwise be disposed of after just one use. This significantly reduces emissions,” says Julien Bouchard. The global market for the reuse of medical consumables is growing and the possibility of launching the ReNu business in additional markets is continuously evaluated.
To learn more about how we work to drive more sustainable healthcare, go to the Sustainability area of our website here: Sustainability
