End-of-life solutions
We continuously mitigate our waste impact through increased reprocessing cycles, higher collection rates and improved yields. When a device does reach it’s “end-of-life” for reprocessing, we strive to recycle or dispose of the products in a responsible manner. Through these solutions, we have been able to recycle hundreds of thousands of pounds of pulse oximeters and ECG leads.

Overview
Our Products for the Planet program encourages hospitals to increase their collection of single-use medical devices, and in return, we guarantee to plant trees in National Forests through the National Forest Foundation. Since the inception of the program in 2017, we have donated over 90,000 to help restore forests in need.

2017
- 5,000 trees planted
- Ochoco national forest in Oregon

2018
- 9,000 trees planted
- Coconino national forest in Arizona

2019
- 75,000 trees planted
- Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia
National Forest Foundation (NFF) contribution
Product families included


How can my hospital earn trees?
Growth model
A minimum of 10% year-over-year collection growth is required. Example: Collections of pulse oximeters grow 15% from the previous year = 15 trees.
Devices included in this model: pulse oximeters, harmonic scalpels and non-Philips ECG leads and cables
Compliance model
A minimum of 41% collection compliance is required. Example: Collection compliance for Philips leads is 45% = 5 trees
Devices included in this model: Philips ECG leads and cables, Prevalon MATS and Stryker steerable introducer sheath

RightCycle
Overview
In 2019, we began The RightCycle Program which is a groundbreaking service that enables us to collect previously hard-to-recycle personal protective equipment items, such as gloves, masks, gowns and safety eyewear and have them turned into new consumer goods.
How it works
- Apparel items, eyewear and nitrile gloves are work in Stryker facilities
- Used products are collected and shipped to RightCycle recycling centers
- Used products are sorted and processed into plastic pellets
- Materials are molded into new plastic products and durable goods
Pellets are turned into everyday items such as:
- Patio furniture
- Flowerpots and planters
- Plastic shelving
- Recycling bins
- And more

EcoVadis
Overview
EcoVadis is the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, intelligence and collaborative performance improvement tools for global supply chains. EcoVadis uses a powerful technology platform and a global team of domain experts to create an easy-to-use and actionable sustainability scorecard. These scorecards provide detailed insight into environmental, social and ethical risks across 200 purchasing categories and 160 countries. The scorecards focus on four categories; environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
In 2019, we joined the list of industry leaders that partner with EcoVadis. This partnership enables our organization to reduce risk within our supply chain, drive sustainable product innovation and create bottom line impact. By 2022, our goal is to have 90% of production suppliers achieve an EcoVadis score of greater than 45.
Value chain transparency:
Ecovadis provides visibility to our critical suppliers’ practices and a way to ensure that we are identifying and recognizing over-performing suppliers.
As we continue to promote our efforts to have a more transparent supply chain within Stryker, we are also encouraging our suppliers to operate in a more responsible manner.
Risk Mitigation:
EcoVadis enables us to identify risky suppliers (those with a low score card below 45) and start corrective action plans with them OR choose not to partner with them moving forward.
Responsible business practices:
EcoVadis enables us to select and encourage suppliers who share our commitment to honesty, integrity and corporate responsibility.

Platinum Plus program
Overview
At SSS, we recycle the platinum tips found on diagnostic and ablation catheters once they cannot be reprocessed anymore. Through our Platinum Plus program, EP labs across the country can recycle the precious metal found in these devices and receive a value credit to pay for future purchases. In 2019 alone, we recycled 1400 oz t. (or 96 lbs.) of platinum, which resulted in crediting customers $1.4M.
How the program works:
- Catheters are collected from hospitals by our Service Associates
- Once received, the catheters are identified and tallied
- All eligible catheters “not suitable” for reprocess or those that fail to pass our quality tests are rejected and counted towards the Platinum Plus program credit
- The platinum tips are then sent to the third-party recycler