Smart Sharps: Re-usable sharps bin for the medical profession

Abstract

Product Design for Manufacture

Client: Offers waste disposal solutions to the healthcare industry via incineration of sharps waste.

Aim: To design, develop and manufacture the World's first re-usable sharps bin. Prior to 'Smart Sharps' all sharps bins were incinerated after a single use. PDR successfully designed, developed and manufactured a re-usable sharps bin, thus transforming the disposal of medical waste. 'Smart Sharps' offers substantial cost benefits to health authorities due to the cyclical nature of collect, dispose, clean and re-use; not to mention he environmental benefits of zero polymer incineration. The 'Smart Sharps' product has several unique features, including: a) a non-traditional triangular shape, providing a stiffer and stronger bin compared to traditional shaped sharps bins of the same capacity b) Poly-Alpha BN (anti-bacterial and anti fungal agents) moulded into the base material that fights the spread of superbugs such as MRSA, Ecoli, etc.

The 'Smart Sharps' bin has been accredited by the British Standards Institute. The significance of this highly innovative and inventive design was such that the British Standards Institute subsequently rewrote the corresponding standard in order to recognise triangular sharps bins.

The product is currently in trial within the NHS, Scotland.

Waste Solutions Co has been bought out by Stericycle as a result of the new sharps bin.

Recognition:

Won 2006: 'iF' Product Design Award

Won 2006: 'red dot' Product Design Award