Product Responsibility - Baxter Sustainability Report

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Product Sustainability ReviewThe design stage offers a unique opportunity to shape a product's environmental, health and safetyperformance across the life cycle. During this phase, decisions are made regarding materials selection,components that impact energy use, other characteristics that influence carbon footprint, features that affectrecyclability, and other factors.For this reason, Baxter includes Product Sustainability Review (PSR) during the early stages of the productdevelopment process. PSR is a two-step assessment of a product’s projected environmental, health and safetyimpacts. An initial screen at the product development concept phase reveals high-level sustainability risks andopportunities in areas such as regulations and customer and other stakeholder requirements (see graphic).The second step is a comprehensive review that identifies improvement opportunities across the life cycle.This process includes life cycle assessment-based computer modeling of a proposed product, and may involvecomparison to existing products. Designers can use this assessment to inform material choices and evaluateproduct end-of-life options. Baxter uses these results to confirm product feasibility, help establish productrequirements and minimize potential product impacts to human health and the environment.http://www.sustainability.baxter.com/product-responsibility/research-development-design/product-sustainabilityreview.html© Copyright 2011 Baxter International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
PSR has historically focused on medical devices, ranging from intravenous solution containers to dialysismachines, reflecting the greater potential environmental impact of these compared to other Baxter products.Since 2005, Baxter has used PSR to evaluate all new medical devices reaching the concept stage ofdevelopment, and currently has several devices under review. In 2010, the company intended to expanduse of PSR into product development in its BioScience business. However, as a result of changes in theBioScience organization during the year, this initiative was rescheduled for 2011. When implemented,nearly all new products Baxter introduces will complete the PSR process.PSR also provides a channel to integrate compliance considerations for existing and upcoming productregulations. 1 In 2008, Baxter enhanced the PSR screen for toxic chemicals. This will help the companymeet growing customer demands and will also help Baxter prepare for potential chemical restrictions underthe European Union REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances)regulation. Product requirements regarding materials choices are adopted and formally acknowledged in theproduct design history file. See Case Study: Materials Restrictions for more information.PSR has had positive results. Several reviews influenced materials selection, such as a requirement thatnew machines under development meet the European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)Directive restrictions regarding heavy metals. Even though the products are currently exempt, medical deviceswill fall under the scope of the revised RoHS Directive in 2014. Also, recent reviews stipulate that new productdesigns should avoid the use of "Substances of Very High Concern" as listed under REACH regulation.PSR is also playing an important role in the ongoing development of a new dialysis device, which will meetRoHS Directive guidelines worldwide and will not contain chemicals from the REACH regulation list of"Substances of Very High Concern." Baxter is using the device to evaluate using IEC 60601-1-9, aninternational standard for environmentally conscious design.Life Cycle AssessmentSupplementing PSR, Baxter also uses a formal life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmentalperformance of its products. In 2009, Baxter completed several externally verified LCAs demonstrating thesignificant environmental benefits of FLEXBUMIN [Albumin (Human)] - the first and only human albumin 2solution in a flexible, plastic container - compared to a similar product in a glass bottle. In addition to enhancingconvenience for customers and users, the FLEXBUMIN container system has a 55-77% smaller carbonfootprint, depending on product size and geography. (See Case Study: FLEXBUMIN Life Cycle Assessmentfor more detail).In 2010, Baxter undertook a streamlined LCA that compared two generations of dialyzer products to evaluatehow material changes affect environmental performance. Dialyzers are filters used during hemodialysis toeliminate waste products from the blood of people with end-stage kidney disease. The housing of Baxter’snew XENIUM+ dialyzer was converted from a more carbon-intensive plastic, polycarbonate, to a lowercarbon-intensive plastic, polypropylene. Polypropylene has a 75% lower carbon footprint than polycarbonate. 3When compared to the previous generation dialyzers, XENIUM+ has significant environmental benefits. It ishttp://www.sustainability.baxter.com/product-responsibility/research-development-design/product-sustainabilityreview.html© Copyright 2011 Baxter International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Page 1 and 2: ProductResponsibility
Page 3 and 4: Sustainability Issues Across the Pr
Page 5 and 6: Baxter is dedicated to creating pro
Page 7 and 8: Baxter's animal research facilities
Page 9 and 10: SafetyPatient safety is at the core
Page 11 and 12: Baxter continues to improve product
Page 13 and 14: Ensuring Product IntegrityCounterfe
Page 15: Addressing Product Safety IssuesWhe
Page 19 and 20: BioethicsAt Baxter, bioethics cover
Page 21 and 22: All animals used by Baxter are from
Page 23 and 24: • Baxter uses non-invasive, state
Page 25 and 26: Materials UseCustomers, governments
Page 27 and 28: In 2010, Baxter undertook a streaml
Page 29 and 30: Product TransportBaxter transports
Page 31 and 32: Pallet ProgramsWooden pallets are u
Page 33 and 34: PackagingBaxter works to decrease t
Page 35 and 36: Product UseAdvertising and Promotio
Page 37 and 38: Product End-of-LifeThe responsible
Page 39 and 40: Materials RestrictionsThe European

Product Responsibility - Baxter Sustainability Report

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