MedEarth helps protect and enhance our natural environment by working with a range of partners to recover usable medical supplies and equipment that hospitals no longer want and would otherwise be destined for landfill.
Australian hospitals generate a large amount of medical solid waste each year. Much of that solid waste is unused medical supplies and equipment. As part of our environmental protection program MedEarth redistributes the medical items we recover to communities in desperate need of them.
MedEarth promotes environmental stewardship and better health in our community. It’s a simple, yet extraordinarily important process.
Every year, millions of children die before their fifth birthday – most in developing countries, and most because of preventable illnesses. MedEarth bridges the gap between our abundance and their absence, our surplus and their scarcity. Using the surplus we recover, we match our inventory to the needs in the world by partnering closely with both domestic and international partners to ensure people get what they need.
The five steps
1. Recover
MedEarth recovers medical supplies and equipment from various health systems that would otherwise be discarded to landfill. This usable medical surplus is still safe, but typically is discarded because of insurance regulations, hospital inventory systems, renovations and equipment updates.
2. Sort
MedEarth receives these supplies in our warehouse and distribution centre and sorts all incoming medical supply donations. By separating incoming donations into individual item types, MedEarth can completely customise orders for our recipients.
3. Assess
Potential recipients must complete an application form to request medical supplies and equipment to support humanitarian aid. MedEarth then builds a customised order based on a needs assessment.
4. Distribute
MedEarth fulfils orders of all sizes – from small boxes to large cargo containers, and works with recipients to help these shipments reach their final destinations across the world.
5. Save lives and the environment
The medical items we save from landfill and send overseas promote a healthier planet and healthier communities.