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Less waste and lower disposal costs

Intermittent catheters in use – a major source of waste[1]

Like many other medical products, catheters can only be used once. Every patient should place an intermittent catheter about five times a day,[2,3] which is why just as many catheters end up in the waste every day. The same applies to the patient’s stay in your facility after surgery or for rehabilitation. Therefore, the amount of litter affects them personally as well as your facility.[1] Waste is a challenge for all of us.[4]

Examplary calculation of catheter usage after surgery. *First part of example calculation of intermittent catheter usage of one spinal cord injury patient. Calculation basis: average use of 5 catheters per day,[2,3] simplified calculation basis 4 weeks = one month.
Why plastics are a problem
beach full of plastic waste

green icon of a man

green icon hand with flower above

green icon with piggy bank

Actreen® pouches

Extra service for your patients and the environment[10]

You want to give your patients as much scope as possible in terms of action. This is why we have delivered a free pouch with every package of Actreen®: Your patient can use this to carry their catheters safely with them – anywhere, anytime. 

Now, we have gone a step further on our way towards making Actreen® greener and have improved the recyclability of the pouches, which are now made of paper. To keep them durable, a special PVC-coating ensures that they can be used everywhere, even in a wet environment.[11] And the PVC reduction is high – in every version: 

Due to its low PVC content (compared to 100 percent PVC bags), the new pouch generation marks a more environmentally friendly service for your patients.

A win-win situation

Your choice makes the difference

nurse with man in wheelchair outside in the garden

References

** Please consider your local regulations for recycling.

  1. Sun AJ, Comiter CV, Elliott CS. The cost of a catheter: An environmental perspective on single use clean intermittent catheterization. Neurourol Urodyn. 2018 Sep;37(7):2204-2208. doi: 10.1002/nau.23562. Epub 2018 Aug 14. PMID: 30106190
  2. Groen J, Pannek J, Castro Diaz D, Del Popolo G, Gross T, Hamid R, Karsenty G, Kessler TM, Schneider M, 't Hoen L, Blok B. Summary of European Association of Urology (EAU) Guidelines on Neuro-Urology. Eur Urol. 2016 Feb;69(2):324-33. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2015.07.071. Epub 2015 Aug 22. PMID: 26304502.
  3. Woodbury MG, Hayes KC, Askes HK. Intermittent catheterization practices following spinal cord injury: a national survey. Can J Urol. 2008 Jun;15(3):4065-71. PMID: 18570710.
  4. Hardesty BD, Wilcox C. Eight million tonnes of plastic are going into the ocean each year. The Conversation. 2015 February 12. https://theconversation.com/eight-million-tonnes-of-plastic-are-going-into-the-ocean-each-year-37521#:~:text=Around%208%20million%20metric%20tonnes,of%20coastline%20(excluding%20Antarctica). Accessed May 23, 2023.
  5. Ritchie H, Roser M. Plastic Pollution. Our World in Data Sept 2018, updated April 2022. https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution. Accessed May 5, 2023.
  6. Wearden G. More plastic than fish in the sea by 2050, says Ellen MacArthur. The Guardian. January 19, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur. Accessed May 23, 2023.
  7. Bouton F. Qualitative environmental comparison between: Actreen® Hi Lite & Mini ranges and the main European competitor catheters. EVEA fabrique de solutions durables. July 2020. www.evea-conseil.com.
  8. Rew M, Lake H. A survey of short- and long-term pre-lubricated intermittent catheters. Br J Nurs. 2013 Oct 10-23;22(18):S12, S14-18. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2013.22.Sup18.S12. PMID: 24121768
  9. UN Environment Program: Healthcare waste: what to do with it? 09 April 2020. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/healthcare-waste-what-do-it. Accessed June 2, 2023
  10. Gibbens S. Can medical care existwithout plastic? National Geogrphic Newsletter 2019 Oct 9th. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/can-medical-care-exist-without-plastic. Accessed June 7, 2023
  11. Technical file B. Braun pouch: grammar of pvc per pouch. November 30, 2020
  12. Chartier-Kastler E, Chapple C, Schurch B, Saad M. A Real-world Data Analysis of Intermittent Catheterization, Showing the Impact of Prelubricated Versus Hydrophilic Catheter Use on the Occurrence of Symptoms Suggestive of Urinary Tract Infections. Eur Urol Open Sci. 2022 Mar 4;38:79-87. doi: 10.1016/j.euros.2022.02.008. PMID: 35495281; PMCID: PMC9051966.