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This innovation provides a consistently high quality glove at lower overall cost, results in better quality control, reduced import burdens and, at the same time, addresses the important issues of waste management and overuse of resources in the healthcare arena.
EcoGlove's high quality, specially formulated Tr@ce glove can be reconditioned and used again up to 7 times, with the reconditioning process reinforcing and ensuring the quality and integrity of the glove. "In an era of cost cutting where quality is compromised to accommodate price pressures, EcoGlove has developed an innovative method to curb costs, increase quality, reduce waste and contribute to local supply sustainability", remarks Frost & Sullivan Program Manager Kavitha Ravikumar.
In the current business model, EcoGlove has locally appointed service partners who supply the original glove and administer the 12 stage reconditioning process with the 'Glove Reprocessing Unit (GRU) system'. The GRU can recondition up to 8 million gloves annually and may be used either on a dedicated or shared basis. The system re-confirms the integrity of individual gloves and mechanically discards unsuitable or compromised gloves as clean waste.
"It cleans the gloves using a novel H2O2 process, slashes waste by as much as 75 per cent and significantly cuts energy use and expense as compared to using a single-use disposable product," explains Ravikumar. "About 10 per cent of the used gloves could be rejected each time they go through the machine. These are shredded and the waste is sold to other reprocessors for re-use in other forms."
The EcoGlove product cuts back on shipping needed for importing batch after batch of single use gloves as each EcoGlove import can be re-used again up to 7 times and the reconditioning is done locally. This cuts the amount of fuel used as well as reducing the need for other international logistic services. In addition, it requires less energy to recondition a glove than to make a new one and the latex is reused rather than being discarded as waste. The carbon footprint of this product is thus significantly lower.
"Each glove provided by EcoGlove is printed with a unique identifier that is used to track every aspect of the glove use and reconditioning". This, in turn, provides the means for traceability, statistical analysis and management information giving healthcare administraters valuable insight into use statistics" adds Ravikumar.
The Tr@ce glove was CE confirmed as a class I Medical Device in August 2008. The GRU glove recondiditoning unit has been CE marked as well. In 2008, EcoGlove had contracts with a hospital in Malaysia and is negotiating contracts in North America and Europe.
"For European economies, the EcoGlove system of local service providers in conjunction with glove reconditioning makes the purchase of examination gloves less expensive, reduces healthcare waste and stimulates local economy and enterprise by making the local service provider an important link in making the product a success," concludes Ravikumar. "Cost-effectiveness, logistics simplification, environmental consciousness in addition to getting local government support underline EcoGlove's ability to translate conservation into a successful business model."
The Frost & Sullivan Green Excellence Award in Product Innovation is presented to a company that has demonstrated unique product design and development initiatives, which is aligned with a sustainable and environmentally conscious objective within its industry sector. This Award signifies the company's identification of a unique and revolutionary solution with significant environmental benefits, while presenting tremendous market potential simultaneously. Moreover, the Award also signifies that the company's overall business strategy is sound and poised for success.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.
About EcoGlove
EcoGlove (ecoglove.com) brings to market a revolution in the quality, supply, use and disposal of medical examination gloves, with emphasis on cost, waste and carbon footprint savings, environmental sustainability, fair trade and respect for the human factor in delivering health care services.
EcoGlove Contact Information:
John Wright – Director
P: +377 607933205
E: john.wright[.]ecoglove.com.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership™ empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents.
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jasmine.malone[.]frost.com 
