Product profile

Miru 1day Flat Pack eco-friendly packaging

Beyond 70 years of innovation

As Menicon celebrates 70 years in business, Neil Retallic discusses the company’s environmental ethos and exciting new innovations

This year Menicon is celebrating its 70th anniversary of helping people to see life in detail. There is an ethos that runs through the company’s DNA of ‘Do not imitate others’, which has led to out-of-the-box thinking. This approach drives our pioneering innovation and technology, with principles in place to respect the environmental impact.

From the products we design to our business operations, we aim to reduce our impact on the environment to protect society and the planet. That is why we have signed up to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Goals for 2030. We have placed sustainability at the heart of our business activities, spanning material development, lens design and the manufacture of contact lenses and care solutions. A great example of this is the cutting-edge design of the eco-friendly packaging of the Miru 1day Flat Pack (Figure 1) – technologically advanced and incredibly easy to use for consumers. The environmental credentials of the unique lens packaging of the Miru 1day Flat Pack are leading the way in reducing waste in the following ways:  The primary packaging uses significantly less raw material and is recyclable  The Miru 1day Flat Pack blister results in 80 per cent less waste compared

to conventional packaging  The package is produced by reusing 99 per cent of the plastics used in the contact lens manufacturing process  The storage case is made from the moulds that produce the lenses inside the pack, demonstrating excellence in the circular use of raw materials. The packaging weight for a 12-month supply of Miru 1day Flat Pack (730 packs) results in only 20 per cent waste compared to conventional packaging

At our contact lens manufacturing plants, we have also taken steps to minimise our consumption of resources such as water, gas and energy. A good example of this is at the Emmen Plant in the Netherlands where 550 solar panels were installed which provide approximately 150 MWh of electricity annually – accounting for 15 per cent of the energy required. Irrespective of the seasons, we aim to make our processes as energy efficient as possible using a heat pump to store cool air in a well in the ground with the stored air used to cool the building in the summer.

Reducing the volume of water used in our production processes has also been a priority and at our Kakamigahara plant, we have managed to save 50 per cent of the water previously used. We are making good progress and our innovative and pioneering spirit will continue to drive our efforts in meeting sustainability goals and, of course, delivering high quality contact lens products that wearers can trust.

LIFE-CHANGING POSSIBILITIES FOR ALL Contact lenses have evolved at such a pace since I qualified as an optometrist 15 years ago. New technologies and innovations have led to such a wide range of contact lenses available to patients, making them a viable option as a complement to spectacles. Our benefits to the wearer can be lifechanging (Figure 2).

Contact lens wear can be life-changing

Providing patients with what they need

As eyecare practitioners (ECPs), it is our job to make sure we offer the best solution tailored to each patient and that is what I love most about working with Menicon. Through both our speciality and frequent replacement divisions, we can offer exactly what patients need and we understand too the challenges ECPs face in reducing drop-out rates. The key is good education, communication and support, coupled with lenses that can match wearers’ needs and lifestyles.

Taking education as a starting point, there is a great range of support available. The recently-published British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) CLEAR report on evidence-based contact lens practice is a great source of information. Menicon has also developed a range of training tools to help make selecting the optimal lens as easy as possible. Our online calculators and the launch of our virtual e-learning academy make it easy to access support. Or depending on preference, face-to-face sessions can be delivered at our Menicon Training Clinic, where education sessions and tailormade training are on offer, including a six-session programme that covers five product groups.

Once ECPs are familiar with the product range and options available, providing a successful contact lens fit experience is the next step to happy patients. This is where good lens design, manufacturers’ fitting guides and keeping the ocular surface healthy come into play. It is important to find out about the wearer’s lifestyle, visual and environmental needs, and how these relate to their motivation to wear contact lenses. Cutting-edge developments in lens materials mean wearers can enjoy all-day comfort as well as superior vision

(Figure 3).

Fitting speciality lenses is also possible and can easily be achieved. Over the past two years, hospital waiting times have increased as a result of the pandemic. It has been great to see practitioners embrace lens fitting for patients with complex eye conditions with the support of the Menicon team to make it as easy as possible, ensuring success for wearers. So you see with so much support on hand, a wide range of products to suit each individual, there’s really no reason why contact lenses cannot be offered as an option to everyone suitable.

EXPERIENCE THE UPSIDE OF MIRU Menicon’s Miru family of lenses just got bigger with the exciting addition of Miru 1day UpSide, the first and only silicone hydrogel daily disposable with SmartTouch technology (Figure 4). Created with a brand new, highly breathable ultra-low modulus material and combined with an innovative packaging design, Miru 1day UpSide offers hygienic, hassle-free handling for comfortable all-day wear. Available in sphere and multifocal, with toric being added soon, there is an UpSide lens to suit your patients’ needs.

At Menicon we know that finding the right contact lens for your patients is so important – for them, and for your business. We are committed to supporting you to grow your business and build a loyal customer base. That’s why we are pleased to offer trial banks of Miru 1day UpSide contact lenses to help you meet your patients’ vision correction needs. The new Miru 1day UpSide lens offers patients an easy-to-use lens to suit their lifestyle, helping to reduce dropout rates for your practice, so it’s good for patients and good for your business.

Over the past 18 months, health and hygiene have never been so important. Created with a brand new highly breathable ultra-low modulus material and combined with an innovative packaging design, Miru 1day UpSide offers hygienic, hassle-free handling. We also have online prescription calculators for our multifocal and toric lenses to help you achieve first fit success.

Featuring Menicon’s SmartTouch packaging, the wearer never has to touch the inner surface of the lens, delivering a more hygienic lens that is always applied the right way up - making active compliance easier and delivering a positive lens-wearing experience for your patients. This new lens has been created from Menicon’s innovative Menisilk Air and NanoGloss Pro technologies, which balance material, oxygen flow through the lens and surface properties, ensuring your patients enjoy a comfortable wear and superior vision.

Your time is precious and so is your patients’ time. Miru 1day UpSide lenses are easy to apply, aiming to keep the process stress-free, suiting those with busy lifestyles. Our range of videos available online can also help you to support your patients on their new Miru contact lens journey. Ordering Menicon’s range of disposable contact lenses is easy too with our new Online Ordering system where trial or stock lenses are available, along with the option for a specific delivery for a patient. Simply visit www.meniconservice.com/login using your Menicon customer number.

Our sales and customer service team are also on hand to answer any questions you have about your new trial Miru 1day UpSide lenses, or indeed to discuss any of your patient requirements. Simply call 01604 646 216, email enquiries@menicon.co.uk or visit our website at www.menicon.co.uk

Neil Retallic BSc (Hons) MCOptom, FBCLA, FIACLE is global professional services manager at Menicon. He is also the current president of the British Contact Lens Association.