Medtronic Doubles Down on Sustainability Efforts

Medtronic has hired its very first VP & Chief Sustainability Officer. It was revealed in a LinkedIn Post that it had tapped Raman Venkatesh for the position.

The Dublin-based company noted that in this newly created role, Venkatesh will be responsible for leading the development and execution of Medtronic’s Environmental Sustainability strategy.

The appointment of Venkatesh is another step in the firm’s sustainability efforts.

Medtronic is well-known for its sustainability efforts. In 2021, the company won an  Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) AmeriStar Award — this time for a packaging redesign of its RFA ClosureFast device in partnership with Oliver Healthcare Packaging. The company implemented a card/hoop design to secure the venous cauterization device, resulting in significant material and transportation savings.

Pouches were reduced by 11%, shipping cases were reduced by 33%, and cartons were reduced by 45%. The carton holding the pouched device used recycled clay-coated news back (CCNB) material and eliminated the use of bleached pulp. These modifications reduced solid waste by 60% for every 500,000 devices sold while smaller packaging allowed more devices per pallet, resulting in fewer sterilization cycles and fewer truckloads.

In 2018, the company won another AmeriStar Award for the innovative packaging design of its Euphora balloon angioplasty devices featuring upgrades to the carton and internal configuration (below). In addition to simplifying removal from the shelf and device preparation, the new design allowed for an increased number of units per pallet and a reduction of CO2 emissions.