Cambridge Consultants’ Syreen concept looks to reduce the material waste associated with the common syringe. The company describes the innovation of the concept:
“Instead of glass, Syreen syringes are made with COP (cyclic olefin polymer) plastic, which has enabled Cambridge Consultants to shed the need for secondary packaging altogether, a first in this medical device arena. The makeup of the Syreen allows syringes to clip together, nesting in a pack while the COP design doubles as the outer shell of the packaging itself. The Syreen therefore eliminates the need for wasteful fillers such as cardboard and styrofoam, reducing the packaging weight by 30 percent and volume by 50 percent from today’s standard packaging. The United States alone produces 6,600 tons of medical waste per day, equalling well over two million tons per year—approximately 85 percent of which goes to landfills throughout the country.”
Medical waste is an enormous dilemma that is currently being addressed by organizations such as Health Care Without Harm, but creative solutions such as the Syreen are encouraging. By re-imagining how things are produced and used, the root of the problem can be addressed instead of dealing with the issue at the disposal stage.
Story via Core77
