School Holidays are just around the corner and with them comes a lot of cuts and bruises. if you have kids then there are certain things that you’ll need to have in the first aid box. How can you be sustainable while still looking after the scrapes that come with outdoor rough and tumble?
Introducing climate-neutralised ELASTOPLAST GREEN & PROTECT PLASTERS!
Wound care experts Elastoplast announce the first climate-neutralised plasters made from naturally derived fibres. Combining sustainability with quality, reliable wound care that blocks 99% of dirt and bacteria.
The UK’s No. 1 First Aid brand Elastoplast announces the launch of Green & Protect plasters, the brand’s first climate-neutralised plasters, marking a significant step towards making wound care products sustainable.
The new Elastoplast Green & Protect plasters are 100% climate-neutralised, which means all electricity used in their production comes from 100% renewable sources with all unavoidable emissions compensated for via certified afforestation projects. This helps contribute to climate change mitigation through planting new trees or even entire forests.
As a leading healthcare brand and expert with over 120 years of experience in wound care products, Elastoplast has worked to combine its trusted quality and performance in wound protection with sustainable practices and materials, so consumers needn’t have to choose between their health or that of the planets.
All key components in Elastoplast Green & Protect plasters have been designed with sustainability in mind whilst still offering extra strong adhesion and the reliable protection of the brand’s trusted Bacteria Shield. All wood, paper, and carton used are derived exclusively from responsibly and sustainably managed forests.
What is Elastoplast’s, Bacteria Shield? Elastoplast Bacteria Shield plasters form a protective barrier that prevents 99% of dirt and bacteria from coming into contact with the wound. This protects against infection. But how do Elastoplast Bacteria Shield plasters achieve this high standard of protection?
- Bacteria blocking – Specially developed backings resist the penetration of bacteria. By blocking 99% of dirt and bacteria, Elastoplast Bacteria Shield plasters reduce the risk of infection and enable rapid, natural healing.
- Water repellent – Most Elastoplast Bacteria Shield plasters feature a water-repellent backing, which helps to prevent bacteria from entering the wound. This means that your body’s natural healing mechanisms can get to work unimpeded by external factors like water, germs, and dirt.
- Strong adhesion – Strong adhesion provides prolonged protection and durability. This dependable protection gives you peace of mind and allows you to keep living your life uninterrupted.
- Breathable materials – Breathable materials allow moisture to escape from the wound – an important factor as the skin heals over.
Elastoplast Brand Ambassador, Dr. Zoe Williams, shares: “When it comes to taking care of our planet, it is everybody’s business, and every single industry, including healthcare, needs to take steps in the right direction. I’m just as proud as ever that Elastoplast is leading the way when it comes to wound care with the new climate neutralised Green & Protect plasters, which still offer the brand’s highly effective Bacteria Shield protection.”
Both the wound pad and backing are made from naturally derived fibres and are fully biodegradable. The new wound pad, manufactured via a process that uses fewer resources from materials such as cotton, is made entirely from naturally derived plant-based lyocell and corn-derived PLA (polylactic acid) fibres. PLA fibres are added to form a smooth wound contact layer, preventing the pad from sticking to the wound, to ensure the best possible protection and performance.
The backing layer, made from plant-derived viscose fibres, is water-repellent for safe protection and is biodegradable in fresh water. The silicone coating of the release liner is bio-mass balanced, which means that the raw materials used in its production come from bio methanol derived from renewable feedstocks.
The release liner, backing material, and wound pad all use wood types taken from FSC®- certified forests and the folding box packaging is 93% recycled, recyclable and unbleached, with the lowest weight possible for the material used. In addition, Elastoplast recognises the importance of accommodating latex allergies, so the Green & Protect plasters and packaging are latex-free.
All of this adds up to a plaster that is an ecofriendly substitute that is as sustainably produced as possible, without compromising on Elastoplast’s reliable wound care.
Across its portfolio, Elastoplast has committed to ambitious sustainability targets with a focus on packaging and product components, and the brand pledges to continue working to minimise its environmental footprint. As a part of Elastoplast’s brand relaunch in 2021, it already took big steps to make sustainability improvements to its range and this included shipping in lighter folding boxes designed for optimal recyclability, saving 106 tonnes of paper per year – equivalent to the weight of 18 African elephants. Also, all Elastoplast paper and cardboard packaging use FSC®-certified wood, and plastic has been removed from sealed pouches, saving 3.2 km² (83 tonnes) of plastic annually.
Elastoplast Green & Protect is a tangible example of parent company Beiersdorf’s Care Beyond Skin sustainability agenda and marks the next milestone in Elastoplast’s sustainability journey with ambitious goals for 2025 and a commitment to lead sustainability within the wound care sector. The launch of Elastoplast’s Green & Protect plasters is just one step towards Beiersdorf’s wider “Plastic Pledge”, which aims to see 100% of its packaging become refillable, reusable or recyclable and a further 30% recycled material content across plastic packaging, ingredients and formulations by 2025.
Elastoplast Green & Protect RRSP* – €3.25 / Available at supermarkets and pharmacies nationwide.
