Also shortlisted for her incredible contributions to improving patient care by increasing product knowledge across our network of Orthotists, is Steeper Senior Orthotist, Laura Wilson. Our team will attend the awards ceremony in November, in hopes of winning these prestigious industry awards. As a leading healthcare manufacturer, our membership with the BHTA means our practices are not only ethical and reputable for the benefit of our patients, it also helps us to keep our team members informed of the latest industry policy insights and regulatory advice.
How Steeper Are Innovating to Improve Sustainability
Over recent years, Steeper have made leaps and bounds in our efforts to reduce energy consumption and waste in the manufacturing process of made-to-measure insoles. The traditional method of manufacturing insoles using ethyl-vinyl acetate (EVA) carved to the impression of a foot, can result in up to 80% of the material being wasted. When produced at a rate of more than 40,000 pairs annually, the impact on the environment is immense.
In early 2023 Steeper invested in Arkad 3D printing technology from our partner, Qwadra, who are within our parent company, Eqwal Group. The investment revolutionised our insole manufacturing process, not only environmentally, but also by reducing waiting times for patients and offering fantastic clinical outcomes than those using conservative insole treatments. 3D printing is now our primary manufacturing method for made-to-measure insoles and has already resulted in savings of over 689kgs of CO2, 10 tonnes of EVA waste and 3,674 kWh of power when compared to our previous EVA production - a saving that will be instrumental in helping the NHS achieve its net zero goal by 2040.
The adoption of 3D-printed insoles has also been very popular with our patients, with much of our early user group saying they were the preferred option over EVA, highlighting their effectiveness and their visual appeal. But the hard work doesn't stop there; phase two of the project includes utilising digital methods to capture the individual characteristics of a patient's foot, eliminating the need for single-use impression boxes and reducing transport emissions. We continue to work on scaling the project internally as well as through collaboration with educational institutions, NHS Trusts and the private market to expand the product usage.