As a top supplier of essential medical supplies for over 20 years, SourceMark is no stranger to the importance of sustainability efforts and the impact of eco-friendly products in healthcare. There’s no doubt that humans have an impact on our climate—but that’s a good thing, because it means we have the power to reverse it. In fact, in a report by the National Insitute of Health, researchers found that switching to reusable products can reduce global warming potential by between 38 and 50 percent. In this blog, we’ll explore SourceMark’s green healthcare products, how SourceMark maximizes efficiency in logistics operations, and the future of our sustainability initiatives.
SourceMark’s Eco-Friendly Products
Reusable Laryngeal Mask Airways
Our Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) products are a minimally invasive airway management solution designed to help clinicians reduce the risk of airway-related complications and provide a secure, open airway for assisted or controlled ventilation. With traditional disposable LMAs, the production of polymers, packaging, and waste management contribute significantly to environmental impact. When providers switch to reusable LMAs, carbon emissions can be reduced an estimated 48-84 percent, according to an article in the British Journal of Anesthesia. The article also confirms the cost benefit of switching to reusable equipment, with the potential to save an estimated $30,000 per annum. SourceMark LMAs benefit both environment and budget, providing considerable cost savings compared to their disposable counterparts.
Reusable Tourniquet Cuffs
Crafted from kink-resistant silicone, SourceMark tourniquet cuffs are designed to safely and effectively pause blood flow while protecting against cross-contamination and bacterial transference. Similar to LMAs, disposable, single-use tourniquet cuffs pose a unique danger to the environment. Anetic Aid, a UK-based medical supplier, sums up the cost of disposable tourniquets succinctly, if bleakly:
- 308,774 ft (about half the distance from Washington, D.C. to New York City) of waste equivalent to four football pitches worth of single-use tourniquet cuffs per annum
- In terms of weight, around 846,574.08 lb. – or 384 tons – per annum
- 1,152 tons of CO² – equivalent to 768 return flights between Paris and New York
Luckily, SourceMark provides another way. As part of our commitment to laying the path toward a more sustainable future, SourceMark offers a line of reusable tourniquet cuffs. Color-coded for easier selection, SourceMark reusable tourniquet cuffs allow sterilization by autoclaving, making them immediately available for reuse, cutting out the need for wasteful disposables. SourceMark’s wipe cuffs are reusable tourniquet cuffs made of specific inner materials that lock out pathogens and dry quickly after wipe disinfection, also allowing for timely reuse.
Maximizing Efficiency in Logistics Operations
The process of ensuring medical equipment, supplies, and medicine get to where they need to go is referred to as logistics, and it’s the ultimate goal of the healthcare supply chain. When logistics operations are managed inefficiently, it can have dire consequences for the environment, including increased medical waste, air pollution, water waste, and rising greenhouse gas emissions. Here are a few of the concrete steps SourceMark is taking to maximize logistical efficiency and actively reduce our carbon footprint:
- Achieving a 97% fill rate on orders
- Maintaining 98% invoice accuracy
- Helping 1,150+ facilities process via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), cutting out the need for paper waste
- Partnering with group purchasing organizations and integrated delivery networks to deliver solutions as efficiently as possible
Benefits and Impact of Logistics Efficiency
When healthcare institutions work together, the benefits to the environment are innumerable. More efficient transportation and consolidation of resources cuts down on driving time and fuel costs, maximizing storage space can minimize wasted products, and swapping traditional packaging for more sustainable packaging can reduce waste.
SourceMark is committed to doing our part in reversing the effects of climate change and protecting our planet, and that starts with logistical efficiency. By partnering with top GPOs and IDNs, bringing jobs into marginalized communities, and fortifying our manufacturing and delivery networks, SourceMark continues to maximize fill rates and invoice accuracy while keeping waste and carbon emissions low.
Future Sustainability Initiatives
SourceMark is unwavering in our commitment to being a part of the climate solution. To achieve this goal, we are dedicated to continuous improvement in sustainability and the research and development of environmentally friendly medical devices, as well as serving as a catalyst for healthcare organizations to deliver eco-conscious healthcare.
As we look toward the future, SourceMark plans to continue supplying eco-friendly products, collaborating with our network to further optimize logistics, and partnering with other sustainably minded institutions to reduce climate impact.
Working in lockstep with partners and other organizations across the industry, SourceMark has introduced reusable, eco-friendly solutions to the market, maximized our logistical efficiency, and paved the way for others to do the same. The time to embrace green healthcare products and efficient logistics operations is now. We encourage you to continue doing your part in supporting and prioritizing sustainability in your own organization wherever you can.
SourceMark is ready to help you deliver positive patient experiences and better clinical outcomes. Get in touch with us for more information.