Science-Backed.
Verified Climate Impact. Frequently asked Questions (FAQ) about WoodSafe

66% less CO₂. Same certifications. Same workflow. That's what switching to WoodSafe delivers — measurable, verified, and straightforward.

Below are answers to the most common questions from WoodSafe users. Still have question or having a personal request? We'll give you an answer!

66% CO₂ reduction per container
vs. fossil plastic
80% less fossil-based plastic
UN/ADR & ISO 23907‑1:2019 Certified for medical waste transportation and sharps injury prevention
134°C Autoclave tested

Common Questions

Sustainability meets Safety Compliance

Sustainability

WoodSafe containers reduce CO₂ emissions by 66% per container compared to equivalent fossil-based plastic sharps bin. This reduction is achieved by replacing fossil-based plastic with 80% biobased material — sawdust and pine oil — derived from renewable residual waste from the forest industry.

Sharps bins and risk waste containers are the third largest plastic consumable item in healthcare and account for huge amounts of plastic that go to incineration every year. By replacing the plastic in these sharps bin with renewable material, we reduce the amount of plastic that must be destroyed by incineration.

The Full Picture WoodSafe containers contain 20% fossil-based polypropylene. This component is required for the surface layer that ensures clinical-grade surface performance and for coating the wood fibres to prevent direct contact between product content and wood. Full material transparency is part of how we ensure sustainability data remains accurate.

Switching to WoodSafe delivers a measurable 66% CO₂ reduction per container compared to fossil-based plastic sharps bins. sharps bins and risk waste containers are the third largest plastic consumable item in healthcare — making this one of the highest-impact, lowest-disruption procurement switches available to healthcare organisations.

WoodSafe containers carry the same function and approval as regular sharps bins in fossil-based plastic (UN3291, Sharps Injury Prevention, ADR) and can therefore be replaced without any differences in function and safety. The CO₂ reduction is attributable per container unit, making it directly reportable per ward and per site.

By replacing the plastic in these sharps bins with renewable material, we reduce the amount of plastic that must be destroyed by incineration — delivering a reduction grounded in material composition: 80% biobased (sawdust and pine oil), 20% fossil-based polypropylene.

The Full Picture We work directly with LifeScience and Medical Wholesale procurement teams to calculate and document CO₂ impact specific to your facility's volume and container mix. Get in touch for a site-specific CO₂ impact calculation.
Safety

The material in the container's areas clean as normal fossil based plastic. WoodSafe's containers do not emit any particles and are completely safe to use in "cleanrooms". The containers have been tested and certified for food grade and is totally safe to use in laboratory and clean room areas.

The Full Picture Food-grade certification and cleanroom approval are verified by certified testing institutes. This certification basis covers the material's suitability across both food industry and cleanroom environments.

If risk waste containers that during ongoing use must be cleaned due to contact with body fluids including blood, they can be cleaned with an all-purpose cleaner with a neutral pH without the function or properties being impaired.

The containers can also withstand wiping with alcohol-based surface disinfectant with a cleaning effect, oxidizing surface disinfectant and chlorine-based surface disinfectant as well as other categories of surface disinfection without the product's function or properties being impaired.

Compliance

Yes. sharps bins from WoodSafe have the same function and approval as regular sharps bins in fossil-based plastic: UN3291, Sharps Injury Prevention, ADR. They can therefore be replaced, without any differences in function and safety.

The Full Picture The regulatory approval is identical to that of conventional fossil-based plastic sharps bins. No requalification of your waste management processes is required when switching to WoodSafe.

Regarding autoclaving, WoodSafe has a high HDT/Vicat and maintains shape and stability at higher temperatures than regular PP. The product has been evaluated in a moist heat sterilization (autoclavation) process at 134°C for 20 minutes (3 L and 12 L) and 10 minutes (50 L).

The Full Picture No structural deformation was identified across any evaluated unit size except minor cosmetic change with no impact on function.
Material

WoodSafe is made out of 80% biobased material (sawdust and pine oil) and 20% fossil-based plastic.

To ensure that the product has similar surface characteristics as a product made from solid polypropylene, WoodSafe has a polypropylene surface layer. In addition, the wood fibers in the material are surface coated with polypropylene to ensure the interfacial strength and performance of the product. This further prevents direct contact between the product content and wood fibers.

Woodcomposites have previously tested representative materials with regards to staining and surface performance, for example in contact with acids, bases, liquid hydrocarbons and common cleaning products, and it has been observed that the performance closely follows that of a polypropylene without wood fibers.

The material in the risk waste containers consists of renewable residual waste from the forest industry, mainly sawdust and pine oil. When these are heated, harmless volatile hydrocarbons are formed which emit a scent from the heated wood fibres. The scent is most intense in newly produced risk waste containers and diminishes with time. There are those who think that the vessels smell like a sawmill.

Experiences from early adopters and users of WoodSafe: there were questions in the beginning connected to the smell of the bins, but after 2 years of use, there are no more comments about the smell. The risk waste containers are tested by certified testing institutes, and the material is approved to also be used in the food industry and "clean rooms".

The Full Picture The sawmill scent is real, common among first-time users, and completely harmless. The volatile hydrocarbons responsible for the scent are the same compounds released by natural wood — they pose no health risk and have been assessed by certified testing institutes. After 2 years of use in early adopter facilities, no further comments about the scent have been reported.
Usage

This is intentional design behaviour, not a defect. The lids on the risk waste containers in the sizes 0.5 Liter, 2 Liter and 3 Liter consist of two parts that are held together with a narrow string. The two parts of the lid should be separated in use and the string between the two parts is to be broken off.

It can be understood that the string "breaks" and that it is therefore believed that the cannula is broken and of poorer quality. The material is slightly harder than plastic and less flexible, so it is easy to break the string. When using the holders for the sharps bins, it is designed so that the smaller part of the lid can be attached to the side of the holder.

The size of the hole in the lid can be adjusted to suit different needs. The sizes 2 liter and 3 liter can be adjusted in two positions and the 6- and 12 Liter risk waste containers can be adjusted in three different sizes. This is adjusted based on whether it is possible to completely or partially push away half the hole or to completely push away the inner part of the lid.

The Full Picture The breaking of the string is by design. The material is slightly harder than standard fossil plastic, which is why the string separates easily. This is a functional characteristic of the biobased composite, not a quality issue.

The material in the risk waste containers can handle liquid in the same way as ordinary yellow risk waste containers. If you know that there will be large amounts of liquid in the risk waste containers, it is recommended that you use an absorbent mat at the bottom of the container. This also applies to yellow containers.

The risk waste containers material is not affected by liquid and does not absorb anything or be destroyed by liquid. However, in the case of larger amounts of drug residues, it is recommended to use smaller containers adapted for the purpose, as these containers usually have to be disposed of more quickly due to the risk of reaction between the different drugs.