Innovation to Impact: How Serres Embodies Sustainable Product Design
As environmental challenges grow more urgent and healthcare increasingly emerges as a major contributor to overall global carbon emissions, all stakeholders within the healthcare value chain must help to mitigate the environmental burden and innovate for long-term sustainability. One area demanding particular focus is the hospital operating room (OR), which generates a significant amount of waste – accounting for approximately 25–30% of a hospital’s total carbon footprint.1
This means that solutions aimed at reducing waste, increasing the use of recycled and recyclable materials, and advancing a circular economy are vital. At Serres, we’re on a mission to help hospitals reach their net-zero goals by evaluating the overall environmental impact of our value chain, upholding our strategy and roadmap for sustainability, and especially by designing sustainable solutions and products for hospitals.
We are committed to offering lower-carbon alternatives that help reduce the environmental impact of our products. This commitment is reflected in the design of material-efficient solutions and the use of recycled and renewable raw materials in both product and packaging development. Additionally, our R&D efforts are focused on ensuring that our products and packaging can be recycled at the end of their life cycle.
Driving Healthcare Sustainability Through Data and Innovation
To fully understand our environmental impact and gain insight on how to drive our sustainability agenda forward, we conducted our first emission calculation in 2021, based on 2020 data. This assessment – covering Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions as well as selected categories (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9) of Scope 3 – was carried out by an external partner.2
To drive circular economy activities, we have established a Circular Economy Center of Excellence in partnership with our group and sister companies. We have also created two dedicated sustainability teams at our factories to drive continuous improvement and implement sustainable practices at the operational level.
Driving Healthcare Sustainability With Our Current Portfolio
Our current product portfolio has been developed to support hospitals in their net-zero targets. We have performed life cycle assessments (LCA) of our products from cradle to gate to gain a comprehensive view of their environmental impact. These calculations have been independently verified by a third party, reinforcing our commitment to transparency and informed decision-making.
Our approach empowers healthcare facilities to become forerunners in sustainable healthcare, while achieving measurable environmental and cost benefits. Currently, Serres Suction solutions are used by 50% of the Top 100 hospitals worldwide. Sustainability is deeply embedded in our strategy, operations, and especially into our product design principles and embodied in the solutions we offer today, as can be seen in the following examples:
Combining Reusable and Single-Use Solutions: Suction Canisters and Bags
The Serres Suction system combines single-use suction bags with reusable suction canisters, offering a hybrid solution that provides more sustainable and safer fluid management without compromising healthcare and patient safety.
Unlike traditional systems that oftentimes still collect surgical fluids in rigid and semi-rigid canisters (which often end up being incinerated), our system uses strong and thin suction bags that are easy to handle and are held in suction canisters. Only the thin suction bag is disposed of after the fluid collection, while the suction canisters can be reused continuously. This hybrid solution not only reduces waste but also improves the safety and efficiency of medical fluid disposal.
Serres Suction bags: Sustainable By Design
Our core product, the Serres Suction bag, has been designed with sustainability in mind – minimizing material use through smart design. The Serres Suction bag is incredibly lightweight yet durable, made from strong polyethylene film. It contains significantly less plastic than comparable products, while still meeting the highest standards for quality and safety. For every million uses, only one reported failure.
Thanks to its patented folded design, we can fit four times more suction bags into the same packaging compared to similar products. Additionally, our packaging materials contain 75% recycled fiber in the transport box and 70% in the dispenser box, reducing the environmental impact throughout the logistics process.
Up to 97% Less Waste With Serres Nemo
Serres Nemo revolutionizes surgical fluid waste management, enabling hospitals to reduce their OR waste from fluid collection by up to 97%. The system flushes the diluted contents of Serres Suction bags into the sewer in just 15 seconds, leaving only the empty bags for disposal.
This method cuts disposal costs and reduces CO2e emissions from waste transportation and incineration by up to 97%. Beyond its environmental benefits, Serres Nemo also streamlines the disposal process, ensuring a safer, more efficient experience for both healthcare staff and patients.
Collaboration for Change: Partnerships and Ecosystems
Building a circular economy requires collective action. With the support of a €1.8 million research grant from Business Finland in 2024, we are accelerating the development of more sustainable solutions for a circular economy.
Collaboration is thereby at the core of this mission. In addition to our Circular Economy Center of Excellence, we are therefore part of the PlasticsCircularity research project led by VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland. Alongside 10 other pioneering companies, we are advancing recycling technologies and developing innovative business models to enhance the lifecycle of plastic products and packaging.
Shaping the Future of Sustainable Healthcare
As environmental challenges continue to evolve, we remain committed to driving positive changes through thoughtful design, cutting-edge technology, and strong partnerships. Together with our customers and collaborators, we’re proud to bring responsible workflows to the operating rooms around the globe.
1 Cultivating sustainability in NBT’s operating theatres | North Bristol NHS Trust
2 Serres Sustainability Report
