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FAQ

 

Q)  How many times of reuse for one Enviropouch®?

 

A)  200-250 autoclave cycles of reuse per Enviropouch®!!

 


Q)  How is the accreditation process impacted by our utilization of Enviropouch®, if at all?

 

A)  For 30 years, Enviropouch® continually achieves the following:
1) US FDA medical device class II facility registration, with premarket approval,
2) comprehensive successful FDA audits of our facility,
3) meeting or exceeding CDC guidelines for infection control in healthcare and other professional steam infection control settings,
4) formal accreditations of our customers with their utilization of Enviropouch®,
5) international utilization of Enviropouch® with original focus in US dental and dental hygiene colleges with their infection control departments' utilization of Enviropouch®.
 
NOTE: If you encounter misinformation about the US FDA to do with "approval", please be educated here about this common, long term, false advertising practice to 1) attempt to fool the public into purchasing products marketed in this manner, or 2) specifically in our case, use this misinformation or characterization about a medical device product as a competitive misinformation ploy, often characterized as libel, intended by an industry competitor to disparage and discourage purchasing of a competitor's products with false, misleading misinformation that would suggest a medical device itself is approved or not approved by the FDA. The truth is a US medical device manufacturing facility may be registered or not, and the facility may or may not have pre-market approval to be marketed or not.
 
Please utilize this US FDA link to educate yourself and professional peers.  https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/it-really-fda-approved
 

Q)  What happens when we can't see the contents of the Enviropouch®?

 

A)  Our customer answers this best:
 
"Dear Enviropouch, I want to say Thank you for developing such a wonderful product. I am the clinic specialist for our dental assisting and our dental hygiene programs. As the clinic specialist one of my responsibilities is to purchase supplies and items for the dental hygiene students’ kits. When I was first directed to purchase your pouches for the kits, I was very skeptical. We were using self-sealing paper/plastic pouches. There were many instances of students mislabeling pouches for identifying which student owned the instruments. I felt that using a pouch that did not allow us to view unopened pouches in order to know the actual owner (by colored bands) would lead to utter chaos! I have to admit that this was never a concern! I don’t think in all the years we have used your pouches we have ever had mislabeling. Perhaps not having the safety net of a see-through side makes them more accurate. Again – thank you for this wonderful product."
 
- Devin Smith Dental Clinic Specialist Eastern Florida State College
 

Q)  Where do I purchase EnviroPouch®?

 

A)  You can purchase Enviropouch® products on our Ordering page or Contact Us directly. Enviropouch® is a US FDA medical device class II manufactured and sold direct.

 


Q)  How do we use EnviroPouch®?

 

A)  Please visit our Product Use Instructions Page.  
 

Q)  What is the minimum purchase order quantity?

 

A)  How does quantity one (1) sound?  With us, you can purchase any quantity at any time, no discounts or gimmicks, with NO minimum order requirements, incentives to "over purchase", or guilt-trips to save now, and stock more for along time. One is a very powerful and good number to us, because it lasts you over 200 uses, taking the place of over one (1) case! Yes, it's a 200:1 ratio for math and planet lovers.   
 

Q)  How do we accurately "fit" or "size" our instrument and cassette EnviroPouch® sizing requirements?

 

A)  It's like using a professional tailor to suit! You are the VIP! We provide you free samples of up to nine standard sizes in three colors, shipping only what you uniquely need. From there, we take care of fitting, sizes, colors, and any custom work desired by you, up front in this process. By supplying you free samples of what you think you can utilize for trial use, you get to see the beauty of handling the product, count the number of uses if you wish, see the performance variables dependent upon your autoclaves and other factors, reduce the waste involved in handling (about 25% typically), and test it with your patients and philosophy of handling stations in the operatory or clinic. 
 

Q)  Your website ordering states that you offer a money back guarantee. Is this really true? It sounds too good.

 

A)  Yes, it's been true for all these years, and it has never been needed in 29 years!  Remember, by the time professionals try them, they either love them and begin to transition to EnviroPouch®, or they simply put it off for another day, we suppose. Therefore, it's not really too good to be true, it's just been a safe guarantee, because we invested in our professionals' best interest in the first place. It's a little old-fashioned, but it's the EnviroPouch® tradition, and it makes us happy to serve people in this way.  It may still sound too good to some, and that's OK, too.
    

Q)  What is your volume discount quantity?

 

A)  There is none. We're different. Since there is real value returned to our customers for their investment, and no charges for returns/exchanges of color/sizing, no minimum quantity purchase order requirements, and payment terms that are consistent with your desired method of payment for your educational program, practice, clinic, or lab, we submit that you will see and believe for yourself that EnviroPouch® typically pays for itself and then some. That's what our loyal, longtime customers have appreciated... in budget committee meetings, in transition discussion meetings with students, professionals and staffs, and over in their bank statements, making people especially happy these days.
 

Q)  How is FDA 510(k) to market and FDA establishment registration verified?
 
A)  Please click here to see our FDA Registration
 

Q)  Do EnviroPouch® reusable pouches require washing? Are they washable, if we want to wash them?

 

A)  Washing is optional, but is able to be done on a "mild" cycle setting with mild detergent. We've never known anyone to want or need to wash them though.  Also see Product Use Instructions Page.
 
We've been doing this 29 years now with 510(k) issuance to market a FDA registration established, medical device class II product, at accredited US dental school and dental hygiene schools, practices, in our founding dentists/inventors' practices, and in other US infection control applications (medical, tattoo, veterinarian), as well as internationally...in biotech blood bank/labs/companies. This misinformation exist, and we appreciate the opportunity to share the truth about our unique product. EnviroPouch® meets or exceeds CDC guidelines for appropriate materials for infection control processing that achieve and maintain sterility. We're glad to share our knowledge. Thanks for your professionalism and concern, and we continue to not be surprised when this comes up. Please feel free to contact us.
 

Q)  Why isn't EnviroPouch® listed and easily purchased for US government dental and medical colleges, prisons, and military branches for ships, installations, remotes, for all of its logistical advantages, environmental and cost savings, and other benefits, at a time when the US government needs to save our tax dollars, do its share to improve its environmental impact on an enormous scale, and honor a serviceman's service via Executive Order 13360, https://www.sdvosb-council.org/EO13360.html ? EnviroPouch® is a certified SDVOSB!

 

A)  We're still sorting this one out, with the need for a trusted advocate, individual or corporate specialist(s), who specifically knows how to make this possible. It definitely requires time, patience, expertise, financing, and contacts. Our commitment to and sincere interest in serving our men and women in uniform, and doing our part to promote large scale opportunity for saving taxpayer dollars, while positively impacting our environment and moving toward a more sustainable infection control process model, will not be in vain. We invested the hours into proper SDVOSB certification (links at bottom of website pages) , US government database entry (links on our home/bottom pages), attending educational and networking meetings, competitively bidding for institutional business, and submitting our product to the US military DECS program for formal evaluation. Hopefully, US government database supplier listing will soon become effective for large scale opportunities.

http://airforcemedicine.afms.mil/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/... For small orders (< $3000), we're optimistic that a "click" on a hyperlink for those US government purchasers will become a reality. Tips?

 


Q)  Why doesn't my dentist, physician, tattoo artist, vet, clinician, or infection control specialist know about or use EnviroPouch®?

 

A)  They can only know if YOU tell them, until the EnviroPouch® brand becomes familiar in the global marketplace. We're working on our website and marketing to deliver the content that you expect to establish EnviroPouch® brand as the highest standard, the heart and soul of infection control™.

 


Q)  Are the common autoclave tape and indicator strips for infection control use still needed?  If so, do you guys sell any of these products?
 
A)  Indicator strips and autoclave tape is currently required. Typically, (perhaps free) samples are available from your manufacturer reps and distributors. We don't get kickbacks for our recommendation(s). One manufacturer and distributor that deserves mention is Propper Manufacturing, Long Island, NY, USA. (pending permission to hyperlink for your convenience here). Our founders used their product and liked it, and our customers have given us excellent feedback about the use of their products with EnviroPouch®. So much so, that our President/CEO, Barbara Knight, made a point to visit their HQ years ago. Impressive outfit. Also, we've found that Propper makes it easy to work with them through the use of their website, with a location hyperlink listing of area reps and affiliated distributors. And, no, we don't currently sell any other products, only EnviroPouch®.   
 

Q)  What is the transition process for changing from disposables to reusables, for example, if we have an average of 50 patients a day, how many EnviroPouch® do you recommend that we start off with? Is the autoclave tape required with using your pouches?

 
A)  Each EnviroPouch® takes the place of a case of 200+ disposables. We offer free samples and will put graphic label of grid of 200 bubbles to assist you with proving to yourself that the EniroPouch last as claimed (also google, "Clinicians Report™ Enviropak" (that's our llc & FDA establishment registration corporate name!), and keyword, "Enviropak" for more info. They conducted a formal field evaluation in 2010, and subsequently listed the results in their Buyers Guide of 2010 Top Products.) This is a crowning achievement, forever establishing the dentists' invention, now brand EnviroPouch®, as the  definition of a reusable sterilization pouch. EnviroPouch® = reusable sterillization pouch (Quick! How many syllables!?) 
 
So, let's keep it simple. Perhaps look at quantities of case disposables and/or wraps purchased, buy half of that number, or some fraction, as you pare down to transition to reusables as throw-aways' inventory diminishes. That's it!
 

Q)  What do we say or do when our trusted sales rep(s) discourage or even disparage the use of EnviroPouch®?

 

A)  You're very familiar with the need to educate and assure your patients. This is the same thing. It's totally new and different to them, too. Your rep(s) may assist or encourage you in your transition process, because they are properly focused on your being the customer, enough said. Typically, we've heard that they're not particularly glad about your transition to reusable EnviroPouch®, since it will impact their repetitive disposables' sales. It's understandable. Further, your reps are and have been valuable partners in business. And, they haven't had the benefit of being properly educated about EnviroPouch® efficacy. So, with great patience, we appreciate that fact. One suggestion for the possibility of if/when you meet resistance by your rep(s) to your proposed or announced change to EnviroPouch® reusables, perhaps ease tensions by kindly reminding them that you're freeing up cash for other more tangible or necessary items on your buying wish list.
 

Q)  References?

 

A)  References are abundant mostly in the USA to date of up to 29 years, from US coast to coast... from the largest US NE seaboard community college, to the newest high-tech US SE technical college, to one of the largest-funded and top US dental schools, to several of the newest, largest US NW dental hygiene programs, and all of the dental practices in between, because of dental students, dental hygienists, and professors, finding out about our product during their educational years. Peer professionals are often quick and glad to compare notes directly, offering information about their budgetary and decision processes and obstacles, transitional processes, students' appreciation of the product, easy online ordering for their students, and much more. It is a work-in-progress to collect and post samples of  their email testimonials. Contact us for global references. 
 

Q)  How come we've never seen your company booth at a conference or trade show? Why isn't EnviroPouch® yet advertised in big trade-name media affiliated magazines or online websites, like ADA, ADHA, Dentistry Today, or in the professional media affiliated with the industries of Biotech, Veterinarian, Tattoo, Cleanroom, Medical, Labs? 

 

A)  Simple answer - because we haven't had booths or marketing/advertising budgeted!  We've been growing the old-fashioned way, by the word-of-mouth of loyal, satisfied customers.  
 
Longer answer -  Unless you attended the Thomas P. Hinman Dental in Atlanta (our corporate location), between the years 2001 (our first year with a tiny, remote, barely affordable booth) - and now there was no chance. With no booths for EnviroPouch® since 2001, we could "go to the people", and not be "stuck" in a booth.  We haven't been "big" enough financially to be physically in or advertised in all of those fine places, yet, the key word. 
 
It's not that we don't want to be out and about for you to find us! FYI, momentum has been changing recently with increasing global austerity and sincere efforts for environmental sustainability.  Now, we've got students offering to set up tables for us at conferences! In between, we've attended the world's largest, oldest medical convention, MEDICA 2010, held annually in Dusseldorf, Germany. That was amazing - like an Olympic Village!  And, we pushed through and alongside up to 7' snowdrifts to attend the Yankee Dental Congress, Boston, 2011!  Global infection control specialists, students, dentists, doctors, country and ministry representatives, manufacturers, and distributors now google us daily!! Thank YOU! Thanks also to our awesome Website/SEO/Oxley Internet Solutions and Hostgator!  
As we continue to grow, thanks to our fantastic customers, employee team, and supporters, so too will our ability to finance attending shows and advertising in your favorite places. Thanks for asking this important question. You deserve answers. Please social-media get the word out!
 

Q)  How can we verify EnviroPouch® as a company and product worthy of our trust and investment, as represented by global professionals and experts in infection control and dentistry? 

 

A)  Google, "Clinicians Report™ Enviropak", Keyword "Enviropak" (Enviropak LLC is our corporate name, dba EnviroPouch® to match the 2002 established dotcom for brand recognition and value.) CR Foundation conducted their independent, formal field evaluation in 2010, and subsequently listed the results in their Buyers Guide of 2010 Top Products, and the Jan/Feb, "Infection Control: CR Test Products -- Quick List of 2013"
 

Q)  How is EnviroPouch® product available worldwide for 24/7 purchasing?

 

A)  Thanks to the internet, anyone in the global village can google us and visit our website for direct ordering. EnviroPouch® is ISO 13485 self-certified for CE shipment marking, and we're pursuing notified body for representation in countries which require ISO certification, instead of FDA establishment registration.