Benchmarking Waste Performance

Getting Started on Waste Benchmarking

Benchmarking is a process that allows the organization to compare its waste data to benchmark waste data as a means to see how the organization compares to others. Industry benchmarks also provide some sense of how well hospitals in the data pool are performing on average and the metrics generated by the best performers. It can also help compare multiple facilities within a system.  The benchmarking process also helps organizations view their data in the context of a normalize that allows for corss facility comparison despite different specialties, patient volumes, etc. Practice Greenhealth offers benchmarks and emerging trends based on the data received from Environmental Excellence Awards applicants in its annual Sustainability Benchmark Report.

In the area of waste management, the first benchmark typically calculated for comparison is percentage of total waste for each waste stream. This provides the facility with lots of information of the relative breakdown of its waste streams. The organization can calculate percentage of total waste by dividing the total waste volume (in standardized pounds or tons—choose one and stick with it) for each of the different waste categories by the sum of the volumes of ALL of the waste categories—i.e. TOTAL waste volume. (Tip: Do not include construction and demolition debris (C&D waste) in this total. Because of the extreme weights of construction materials, these numbers will skew your benchmarks.)

Sample Calculation for Percentage of Total Waste

Hospital X generates:

(Solid Waste+RMW+Recycling+Hazardous Waste)=1862 tons of TOTAL waste

The hospital can then create a chart that looks like this:

There are several well recognized healthcare benchmarks for percentage of total waste, including:

• RMW should be 15% or less of total waste, with many hospitals routinely achieving 10% or less. Practice Greenhealth requires a maximum RMW rate of 15% in order to qualify for its Partner for Change award.
• Hospitals can routinely achieve recycling rates of 15%. Practice Greenhealth requires a 15% recycling rate to be considered for its Partner for Change award and a 25% recycling rate to be considered for its Environmental Leadership Award.

Beyond percentage of total waste, benchmarking is often normalized by adjusted patient day (APD) or staffed bed. I.e. an organization would frame the amount of RMW (or solid waste or recycling) in pounds per APD or staffed bed. (Check out this link for calculating Adjusted Patient Days.) Some organizations also look at lbs per APD or staffed bed for TOTAL WASTE as means to look at how the organization is reducing overall waste from year to year (waste prevention). Review Practice Greenhealth’s Sustainability Benchmarking Report to learn more about the most recent waste benchmarks by APD or staffed bed.

Strategic Decision Making

Waste and bechmarking data should be used to help hospital management make informed decisions about the organization’s waste reduction program. For example, if the facility is experiencing an increase in disposal of a particular type of waste, the waste generation data should be monitored to determine the reason(s) for this increase as well as to determine whether additional training on proper waste segregation is needed, whether the proper number of containers is present in the proper location(s), or whether other changes should be implemented.

In addition, waste and recycling data should be used to provide a sound basis for conducting a cost-benefit analysis of new or expanded waste reduction or recycling programs. For example, if your facility is considering purchasing a baler to recycle cardboard, data can be used to determine the amount cardboard currently being thrown away, to estimate the direct cost-savings from recycling, and to determine the time period of investment payback.

Finally, waste and recycling data should be used to better position the facility to renegotiate its solid waste contracts. For example, if the organization's dumpsters are currently being picked up four times per week and are only three-quarters full, perhaps it would be more cost-effective to have your facility’s dumpsters picked up three times per week when they are actually full, saving pick-up and transportation fees.

Learn more about how to use waste data to set goals.