Innovative. Collaborative. Practical. As a young and growing company, these terms define PureLife's approach to tackling some of the key environmental challenges currently faced by the dental industry. As an eco-friendly dental supplies company, it is PureLife's goal to move the industry towards improved environmental stewardship.
PureLife is currently focused on sourcing or developing more environmentally-friendly products. The company already carries a number of "green" products, including its own glove brand, PureSkin. Manufactured on a line powered by biofuels and packed in boxes made with recycled content, PureSkin embodies PureLife's philosophy towards improving the industry's eco-impact: provide environmentally-preferable products that work just as well as traditional versions, are as convenient, and are available at comparable prices.
Up next on PureLife's radar? Greening infection control.
It likely comes as no surprise that dental practices discard over 680 million pieces of disposable barriers per year. These items, along with other disposable products, end up in landfills where they don't decompose – plastic items just break down into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually infiltrating the water and soil. However, since disposable infection control products are likely to remain very popular in the healthcare setting, finding a solution to this problem requires the creation of more eco-friendly, yet still disposable, products.
"We are actively looking for disposable products made from biodegradable materials," said PureLife's CEO, Rodney Hanoon. "By collaborating with manufacturers, we're hoping to develop products that provide the same level of infection control and convenience found in current products, but that offer a reduced environmental impact. We are looking to do that while keeping prices level, even if PureLife has to absorb some costs to help the customer make that shift."
In addition to bringing green products to market, helping dental practices properly manage their waste is another key area of interest for PureLife. After learning that much of the mercury pollution in our wastewaters originates at dental offices, helping dentists collect and dispose of this waste became a priority for the company. Indeed, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that a staggering 50% of the mercury in wastewaters comes from dental amalgam fillings. By subsidizing the cost of amalgam separators and other waste services, PureLife removes one of the primary barriers dentists face in regards to proper amalgam management: cost.
"With impending federal regulation from the EPA requiring amalgam separators, we've seen an uptick in interest in the service," said Hanoon. "Since separators are already recommended by the ADA as a best management practice, it's our goal to provide every dentist with an affordable separator ahead of the new rule, improving the industry's environmental impact today."
To further assist dentists in meeting regulations and embracing environmental stewardship, PureLife has created its new Environmental Leaders Program. The concept is simple: in exchange for taking steps to meet or exceed environmental regulations, PureLife offers dental practices discounts on its green collection of products, informational marketing materials for patients, and additional offers exclusive to its Program partners.
In addition to the initiatives that are focused on helping dental practices become more eco-friendly, PureLife also "walks the talk." The company has been certified as CarbonFree™ by CarbonFund.org. To achieve this designation, PureLife offsets its carbon emissions, including the shipping of the products it sells from the manufacturer to the company's warehouses and on to the end user. The cost of these offsets come out of company profits, with the money going towards environmental programs, such as reforestation and renewable energy projects.
It can be tough enough for dentists to understand all of the industry's waste regulations and eco-impacts, so PureLife works hard to serve as a resource to its customers. The company's sales consultants are not just "order takers" but product educators. Though the company is experiencing rapid growth, it takes the time to educate staff on each new product, so that they can properly advise and sell to the end user. It's this devotion to their customers, passion for their product lines, and their ever-present environmental commitment that has contributed to PureLife's robust growth.
