Distributors Address Sustainability

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Healthcare distributors can work to make the healthcare supply chain more sustainable by targeting greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Scope 1 emissions are those that the company directly controls – facility and fleet emissions.
  • Scope 2 emissions are from the power that the company consumes, and therefore also within the company’s ability to impact.
  • Scope 3 emissions reductions require working collaboratively with upstream and downstream channel partners.

Here’s how each type of emission applies to healthcare distributors.

Scope 3

Upstream / Manufacturing
Earth with magnifying glass

Raw Material
Product composition and location of sourcing directly impacts emissions.

Factory

Manufacturing
Energy used to produce the product.

Boxes packaged for shipping

Packaging
Both the type of packaging and the quantity used play a role in the final environmental impact of a product.

Transportation of packages

Transportation
Typically, several different modes of transportation get the product to US shores.

Scope 1

Direct Emissions
Warehouse transportation

Distributor-Owned Warehouse & Transportation

Scope 2

Indirect Emissions
Electricity for factory

Electricity Purchased For Operations

Scope 3

Downstream / End User
Hospital with ambulance and helicopter

Product Use
Emissions associated with product usage.

Recycling bin

End-Of-Life Cycle
Disposal of product waste.