At Virtue Acupuncture, we aim to improve the lives and wellbeing of our patients but we don't overlook the environmental impact of how we treat. We always consider our environmental footprint and examine ways to reduce this when treating our patients.
At Virtue Acupuncture, we use needles made from the highest grade of surgical stainless steel.
Acupuncture needles are frequently made of copper and stainless steel. Cooper production is connected with significant environmental dangers such as heavy metal surface water pollution, acid mine drainage, and acid rain. On the other hand, stainless steel production has a lower environmental impact because waste material can be filtered or recovered and repurposed for other purposes, such as construction material.
Cooper needle handles do require plating to keep them from oxidising and forming a green outer coating but stainless steel needles do not require plating
Another aspect to consider is how needles are sterilised.
Single-use medical equipment is frequently sterilised using ethylene oxide (EO) treatment. However, EO is poisonous, carcinogenic, and a major contaminant in the environment.
Gamma sterilisation, on the other hand, is safe, effective, and has a lower environmental impact.
The gamma sterilisation material is recycled material from previous procedures that can be reused once it is no longer acceptable for sterilisation.
At Virtue Acupuncture, we use needles that have been sterilised with Gamma Ray sterilisation.
Packaging is the most visible issue in regards to environmental footprint.
The key to reducing environmental impact is to reduce packaging volume and waste. We can achieve that by employing materials that are more sustainable, biodegradable, and/or have a lower environmental impact when disposed of in a landfill or incinerated.
The needle packaging that we use at Virtue Acupuncture is 100% recyclable using a combination of PE and PET combined with Glassine paper that will be decomposed with just CO2 and water.
It also reduces the packaging by 80% in weight compared with standard packaging.
Also, Instead of plastic guide tubes, we utilise bamboo guide tubes that are 100% biodegradable and obtained from carefully managed forests.
By having treatments at Virtue Acupuncture you are sustaining an eco-friendly environment. Together we can make a difference!
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