Technology is a big part of the green dentistry movement, and the launch of Hu-Friedy’s Environdent.com website is using online tools to eliminate much of the paperwork from the company’s long running dental instrument recycling program.
The new online portal also makes the process easier for dental professionals who want to recycle old, broken or dull instruments. The program still provides one free Hu-Friedy instrument for every 12 instruments from any manufacturer sent in for Environdent recycling. The recycled instruments are sent to scrap metal recyclers and used for non-medical applications.
For more information on the new website and the Environdent program, read the full press release below.
Hu-Friedy, a global leader in dental manufacturing, announced today the launch of Environdent.com. Environdent, the longest running dental instrument recycling program, is moving towards a greener solution for responsibly recycling instruments.
The Environdent program offers customers who recycle old, broken, or dull instruments (any brand) 1 free instrument for every 12 they submit through the program. Instead of being sent to landfills as waste, instruments are sent to metal scrap recyclers who use them for non-medical applications.
When this groundbreaking program began, customers were able to participate by sending in a paper form, along with the instruments they were recycling. Once the form was received, there was a series of manual steps required to process and ship. Now, with the launch of Environdent.com, Hu-Friedy has developed an online platform so customers have a more convenient and greener method for recycling their instruments. Hu-Friedy, and their recycling partners in the United States and Canada, are using the latest technology to allow Environdent instrument redemptions to be electronically processed. Environdent.com allows customers to submit their information online, and pairs each order with a unique bar code. The bar code speeds the process of receiving the recycled instruments, as well as the ordering and shipping of the free instrument(s). This not only cuts down on transaction time—it also eliminates the handwritten forms, allowing for a paperless solution to instrument recycling.
In 1995, Hu-Friedy launched Environdent as a way of giving back to the environment and to the customers who share the same passion for environmental responsibility. To date, more than 2.3 million instruments have been recycled through the program.
Ron Saslow, Chairman & CEO of Hu-Friedy, says of the Environdent.com launch, “At Hu-Friedy, we believe that the same level of passion and innovation we put into creating our quality products should also be applied to the overall experience customers have with our brand, including programs like Environdent. Environdent began over 15 years ago to give clinicians a solution for responsible instrument disposal, while rewarding them for making a positive contribution to the environment. We are proud that Environdent is the longest running dental instrument recycling program, and we look forward to the increased value Environdent.com will bring to our customers who partner with us in this cause.”
For more information on Environdent, call 1-800-HU-FRIEDY or visit www.environdent.com.
Source: Hu-Friedy Manufacturing Co. Inc.