Kaiser Permanente Moves to Green Medical Supplies by Converting to Eco-Friendly IV Equipment
- 12 years ago
(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Oakland, CA – January 19, 2012 – Kaiser Permanente, committed to improving the health of its patients, workforce and communities, announced today it is converting its IV medical equipment to more eco-friendly alternatives that are free of PVC and DEHP, two industrial chemicals used in plastics that have been shown to harm human and environmental health.
Kaiser Permanente has agreed to purchase IV solution bags that are 100 percent PVC and DEHP free and intravenous tubing that is 100 percent free of DEHP. PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and DEHP di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate are both widely used in medical products and have been shown to have harmful effects on health. Kaiser Permanente purchases 4.9 million IV tubing sets and 9.2 million solution bags each year. This conversion affects nearly 100 tons of medical equipment and also is expected to save close to $5 million a year.
“We at Kaiser Permanente recognize that the products we buy can have a direct ef
Kaiser Permanente has agreed to purchase IV solution bags that are 100 percent PVC and DEHP free and intravenous tubing that is 100 percent free of DEHP. PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and DEHP di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate are both widely used in medical products and have been shown to have harmful effects on health. Kaiser Permanente purchases 4.9 million IV tubing sets and 9.2 million solution bags each year. This conversion affects nearly 100 tons of medical equipment and also is expected to save close to $5 million a year.
“We at Kaiser Permanente recognize that the products we buy can have a direct ef