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Medline receives global ISO 14001 certification

11 Jun '12

3 min read

Medline Industries, Inc., a global leader in manufacturing and distributing health care and surgical products, announced that the company recently received ISO 14001 certification, a global third-party environmental standard recognizing Medline's ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmentally-friendly business practices at all levels of its company. The ISO 14001 standard is designed to address the delicate balance between maintaining profitability and reducing environmental impact. Only those organizations with excellent environmental management systems qualify for this globally recognized standard.

"Attaining ISO 14001 communicates to everyone we touch – our employees, customers and the communities in which we do business – that we go above and beyond traditional standards to minimize our impact on the environment. We believe this is not only good for our business, but it is the right thing to do for the long-term sustainability of our planet," said Lara Simmons, president of Medline's quality assurance and regulatory affairs division. "Formalizing our environmental strategy with the ISO 14001 standard has provided the foundation for Medline to implement green thinking into every aspect of our business, from factory process planning right down to how we recycle."

Medline was granted ISO 14001 Registration for four of its facilities, including the company's world headquarters in Mundelein, Ill., its sterile procedure tray assembly facilities in Waukegan, Ill. and in Châteaubriant, France, and the company's ReadyCare division, also located in Waukegan, where Medline makes disposable wipes and ready-to-use bathing systems.

ISO 14001 is an internationally accepted standard that sets out a specific process for controlling and improving a company's environmental performance. This improvement encompasses many forms, from enhanced communications and employee awareness to improved environmental performance, and improved emergency planning and response programs.

"ISO 14001 provides direction to our employees, contractors and suppliers to manage environmental risks and maximize conservation of natural resources," said Simmons. "We're taking the steps to provide products that include environmental labels, reduce packaging and other waste, and also minimize product end of life issues such as reducing the impact on land fills, ground water and soil."

Receiving this certification is a continuation of Medline's company-wide sustainability commitment that started nearly a decade ago when the company began a global effort to conserve energy and dramatically lower greenhouse emissions within its own footprint. Since then, the company has worked to green its entire operation from sourcing, manufacturing and packaging through distribution, use and disposal.

Medline has taken this commitment forward by offering a variety of services aimed at helping its health care customers reduce their waste and lower their carbon footprint through a program called greensmart™. The program helps customers improve their own sustainability efforts with environmentally-friendly products, consulting services, and education. The program is designed to help customers quantify and report ongoing sustainability initiatives from both an environmental and financial point of view.

As the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, Medline manufactures and distributes more than 125,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, physician offices and home care dealers. Recently named one of the "100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare," Medline is headquartered in Mundelein, Ill. and has more than 1,100 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.

Medline Industries Inc