Each year, for every 100 occupied hospital beds, the Daniels Sharpsmart reusable sharps container eliminates the manufacturing and landfilling of 4 691 disposable containers which reduces plastic waste by 3.5 tons.
     
For a free, no obligation demonstration please contact Daniels Sharpsmart Compass at daniels@compass.za.net or phone Melanie on 031 267 9700.
      
If you are in healthcare, the Daniels Sharpsmart reusable container is the ideal way to reduce plastic to landfill. You can also reduce plastic in your personal capacity and here are 15 ways that 4ocean, an NPO with a mission to clean up the world’s oceans, suggest you do:  
      
1.      SAY NO TO PLASTIC STRAWS AND SAY YES TO REUSABLE ONES
We use more than 500 million plastic straws every single day. When ordering drinks let your waiter or bartender know you are okay with no straw. If you would prefer to use a straw, there are great alternatives such as steel, bamboo and glass straws.
      
2.      BRING A REUSABLE SHOPPING BAG WITH YOU
More than 1 million bags are used across the globe every day and annually about 500 billion plastic bags are produced. When you go shopping, bring your own bag with you.  
      
3.      GET RID OF THE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE
A single person using a reusable, refillable water bottle instead of single-use plastic water bottles can save as much as 170 bottles from being produced each year.
      
4.      PACK YOUR LUNCH IN GLASS CONTAINERS INSTEAD OF PLASTIC
There are many brands that make glass containers with lids for all of your packed-food needs.
      
5.      AVOID SNACKS / FOOD WITH EXCESS PACKAGING
Some supermarkets will wrap each fruit or vegetable individually in plastic wrap. Instead of throwing it away, leave the plastic wrap with your grocer so that they can reuse it for other products.
      
6.      STOP USING PLASTIC CUTLERY
When you get a take-out order, don’t take the set of plastic cutlery with you. Chances are if you are taking the food home, you have silverware readily available. If you are taking your food back to work, keep a cheaper set of silverware at work that you can wash off and use over and over again.
      
7.      CHOOSE CARDBOARD OVER PLASTIC WHEN YOU CAN
Cardboard can be more easily recycled and unlike plastic, will biodegrade over time. When you can, buy products that are in cardboard boxes such as laundry detergent will help to reduce the plastic that needs to be produced.
      
8.      SWAP OUT YOUR PLASTIC TOOTHBRUSH
One billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown out every single year, creating about 23 million kilograms of waste annually. The handle of a bamboo toothbrush only takes about 6 months to biodegrade back into the soil while a plastic toothbrush will never biodegrade and will remain in the environment forever.
      
9.      AVOID COSMETIC PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN MICROBEADS
More and more countries are putting a ban on the production of plastic microbeads in most cosmetic items. Millions of plastic microbeads are washed down the drain each year, posing a serious threat to marine life who mistake these small plastic particles for food. Choose bath and shower soaps that do not contain microbeads.
      
10.      CHOOSE METAL OVER PLASTIC RAZORS
Two billion plastic razors are discarded every year. Invest a little more into a reusable metal razor and ditch the plastic - but in a recycle bin!
      
11.      GET THE HANG OF USING WIRE HANGERS
Steel hangers are 100% recyclable and not to mention, usually last longer than most flimsy plastic hangers.
      
12.      WHILE YOU’RE AT IT, GET RID OF THE PLASTIC LAUNDRY BASKET
Speaking of flimsy, plastic laundry baskets is another plastic commodity that we can all live without. Try bamboo! Bamboo products are typically sturdy and pose no serious threat to the environment.
      
13.      SWITCH TO E-BILLING
E-billing may very well be one of the most overlooked green practices that we could all be doing. While there may not be a whole lot of plastic involved with receiving bills in the mail, there are many over ecological benefits for signing up for e-billing. Call your billing provider today to get started on a more eco-friendly way to pay bills.
      
14.      PAPER NEWSPAPERS ARE A THING OF THE PAST
If you don’t want to give up the joy of reading a newspaper, sign up for an electronic one! Companies make it easy with iPads, Kindles, and all other forms of tablets to receive the news you want when you want it.
      
15.      IF IT’S PLASTIC, THINK TWICE
Everything from the toys that kids are playing with to the many plastic supplies used for a birthday party, plastic items are all around us. While we understand that avoiding plastic at all costs is near impossible, we encourage you to avoid it when possible and to think twice before purchasing a plastic item that can easily be replaced.
      
    

Since 2003, Daniels Health’s reusable sharps containers alone reduced the number of sharps containers going to landfills (to the tune of over 32 million!), keeping nearly 26 000 kilograms of plastic out of landfills.

‍

Even small steps can help the environment, reduce CO2 carbon emissions and greenhouse gases from being released into the environment. For effective, efficient, and long-term solutions for healthcare waste management and reducing costs of such, give Melanie Marcelino from Daniels Compass a call on 031 267 9700.

‍