Single Use Endoscope
Unlocking sales by quantifying carbon reductions in the care pathway
IQ Endoscopes
Client: IQ Endoscopes is a UK-based medical device company developing single-use endoscopy solutions designed to improve patient safety, access, and clinical efficiency.
Approach: Using primary materials, manufacturing and logistics data, we delivered an ISO 14067-aligned cradle-to-grave Product Carbon Footprint for the G200 endoscope. The analysis identified carbon hotspots, redesign opportunities and circular economy interventions — recognising that products typically account for over 70% of total company emissions. We linked carbon performance to real-world care delivery by mapping three representative clinical pathways and comparing reusable and single-use scopes. In high-throughput settings, where reprocessing delays patient care, single-use endoscopes demonstrated emissions reductions of up to 58%, showing how sustainability and clinical efficiency can align. A structured engagement programme across NHS trusts captured current practice, perceptions and decision drivers. The findings validated adoption trends while revealing variation by trust type and clinical setting, strengthening the evidence base for procurement decisions.
Challenges: To robustly validate the environmental and clinical impact of single-use endoscopes compared with reusable alternatives. It required deep understanding of medical device design, lifecycle assessment, NHS clinical pathways, and real-world healthcare delivery.
Deliverables: An ISO 14067-aligned Product Carbon Footprint report. Component-level carbon hotspot analysis. Circular design and future redesign recommendations. Comparative carbon analysis across clinical care pathways. NHS stakeholder interview and survey insights. Decision-ready reporting to support procurement and market adoption.
Impact: IQ Endoscopes gained robust, defensible evidence linking product design, clinical outcomes, and sustainability performance. The results strengthened their go-to-market strategy, supported engagement with NHS stakeholders, and reframed single-use endoscopy as not only a patient safety solution, but a lower-carbon option in the right clinical context.
“Most companies focus on standard Scope 1, 2, 3 analysis or ESG reporting. Pd-m brought a completely fresh approach and innovative thinking. Their expertise and skillset across the entire team delivered a seamless project within our timescales. The value they added went far beyond the deliverables.”