Keep the ocean in mind
Over the past 50 years, ecological awareness has increased: For good reason, as you can see for yourself in the video. Apart from global warming the next pressing issue is ocean pollution. And this is where you can act for tomorrow.
The concentration of plastic waste has led to the creation of a genuine 7th continent. Unlike organic materials, plastic never “disappears” in nature but accumulates in the environment, particularly in the oceans.1 Around 80 percent of marine waste comes from activity on land.2 For example, a disposable diaper or a plastic bottle can take up to 500 years to be broken down into microscopic pieces.
Today, plastics kill 1.5 million animals per year and in 2050, about 99 percent of marine animals will have eaten plastics.3 So waste has become an element of our human food chain as particles have been found in mussels, crabs and fish.4
What do these figures have to do with your catheter usage?
Using five catheters per day is unavoidable for you5 : Intermittent catheters belong to your everyday routine and help you to make your life easier. However, after usage, it is nothing more than plastic waste. But, you can influence how much waste you produce.
Even though catheters all look alike, there are slight variations which have an influence on our environment. It is your choice which catheter you use and with this choice you can make a difference because catheter models vary in
- weight
- packaging material
- quantity of plastic parts and their recyclability.6
Eco design meets innovation
So it is up to you to decide on a catheter which is reliable and offers you the comfort you need. Discover Actreen®, the safe, efficient and easy-to-use7 catheter which even makes your ecological footprint smaller.6
Actreen's ecological advantages
Eco-friendly catheter material
Actreen® is made of TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) which is a chemically resistant polymer and does not contain plasticizers. It has therefore fewer leachables and extractables than soft PVC and is latex and PVC free.6
Less weight
Because TPO has a lower density than PVC, less material is needed to produce a catheter.8 This leads to a reduction in overall material consumption and plastic waste.
Easy-to-recycle packaging
Less material and fewer components are the key to easier recycling. In comparison to the main competitor products, Actreen® consists of fewer parts and the primary packaging does not contain aluminum or hard plastic, both of which are more complicated to recycle.6 Dispose of your used catheter according to local regulations.
Toxic-free waste management
When incinerated, the PE plastic material that Actreen® is made of does not release toxic compounds into the air. The process is air pollution free.
How do catheters impact your bathroom waste?
One of the measurable distinctions between Actreen® and other intermittent catheters is your dramatically reduced bathroom waste. Due to its eco-design, the product’s volume is noticeably reduced. Find out how big this difference really is.6
Calculate your waste consumption
Actreen® pouches
Another step towards more sustainability
You are active and on the road a lot and you don’t want to think about the supply of catheters. Therefore you receive a free pouch with every package of Actreen® in which you can easily carry your catheters. Because wherever you go, you want to be prepared – anytime.
Now B. Braun has taken another step towards making Actreen® greener and created a new generation of pouches. In contrast to the previous ones, they are now made of paper with a special PVC-coating. This coating ensures water-repellency and you can use them multiple times, even in a wet environment.
So, we have been able to reduce the pouches PVC content significantly and keep the pouches durable – for every version:
Due to its low PVC content (compared to 100 percent PVC bags), this material produces no toxins when it is incinerated. This means more sustainability and marks our common path to a greener Actreen®.
Eco-awareness is in Actreen®'s DNA
Rewinding to the beginning of the Actreen story shows that the catheter had an eco-friendly design from the start. The first product generation was developed in 2004 and has continually been improved ever since.
B. Braun's commitment to the environmental management system (ISO 14001 EMS) already started in 2004.
What does all this mean for you?
It means that you can make your choice. Actreen® is more than just a convenient and comfortable catheter: It directly reduces your bathroom waste and helps to pollute the oceans less.6,7 Because a great amount of all the plastic waste we produce does land in the ocean. Therefore it is important to generate as little litter as possible. It is up to you to step in the right direction.
All of this is possible because Actreen® is:
- the most lightweight product, thus better for waste management in terms of weight and volume.6
- made of environmentally friendly thermoplastic polyolefin.8
- designed with only three parts and therefore widely recyclable.6
- protected with a polyethylene (PE) film packaging which is recyclable.6,9
These advantages are good for you and good for the environment.
Let’s act now for tomorrow – with Actreen®!
Order your Actreen® sample
Sources
1. https://www.eea.europa.eu/fr/signaux/signaux-2014/gros-plan/des-ordures-dans-nos-oceans (04.11.2020)
2. https://www.ecologique-solidaire.gouv.fr/dechets-marins (04.11.2020)
3. https://www.novethic.fr/actualite/environnement/pollution/isr-rse/danger-plastique-les-chiffres-chocs-de-ce-fleau-planetaire-146770.html (04.11.2020)
4. https://www.worldoceannetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/03-fr-la-pollution-marine-et-notre-sant%C3%A9.pdf (04.11.2020)
5. Block B. et al. EAU Guidelines in Neuro-Urology. Neuro Urology, March 2016. https://uroweb.org/wp-content/uploads/EAU-Guidelines-Neuro-urology-2016-1.pdf
6. F. Bouton EVEA, 16 May 2017. Environmental comparison between Actreen® Hi-Lite range and competitor products. External Report. Data on file.
7. Satisfaction survey completed by 198 Actreen® Hi-Lite users in France, November 2016. Results: Discretion rated 79 percent, easy usage rated 93 percent.
8. Xiong Wang and al. Toughened High-Flow Polypropylene with Polyolefin-Based Elastomers, Polymers (Basel). 2019 Dec; 11(12): 1976. doi: 10.3390/polym11121976 page 2
9. Rew M., Lake H. A survey of short- and long-term pre-lubricated intermittent catheters. Br J Nurs. 2013 Oct 10-23; 22(18): 12, 14-18. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2013.22.Sup18.page12.