Setting Waste Goals
Getting Started on Waste Goal Development
Once a healthcare organization has developed a waste baseline, and benchmarked its waste performance, it can use those results to determine feasible waste reduction and diversion goals for the year ahead. Goal setting is a process that takes into account site-specific resources (people, financial, time, technical support) and priorities, zeroes in on areas of opportunity and determines deliverables over a set time period that are strategic, measurable and accountable.
Different drivers for goals may include:
- Visibility of goal within organization
- Low-hanging fruit
- Ease to implement
- Significant cost-savings as a result
- Technical fix versus behavior change required
- Degree of clinician interface
- Amount of capital investment required
- Payback period and ROI
- Seizing opportunities
Goals should be appropriately paced, recognizing it takes time to implement and maintain programs. Goals can be either quantitative or qualitative but need to measurable in order to assess progress or completion. A responsible/accountable party, identification of roles, measurable outcomes, project scope and a clearly articulated timeline are critical for success.
Utilize the gap analysis the organization developed in comparing its current waste performance to existing healthcare waste benchmarks. Consider how much progress the team thinks the organization could make over the course of a year in moving closer to the desired waste generation rates or setting up new programs.
Sample Goal Development
Data tells us:
The organization currently disposes of 28% of its total waste as RMW. The industry standard for optimal RMW disposal rates is 15% or less of total waste with Practice Greenhealth’s best performers routinely hitting rates less than 10%.
A sample goal for the organization might be:
The organization will reduce RMW to less than 20% of total waste within a one year period, with a stretch goal of 15% or less.
Accountable:The Director of Environmental Services, in collaboration with Infection Prevention, will spearhead the effort for better segregation, appropriate container placement and education & signage for clinical staff.
Measurable:Organization will track RMW volumes over the course of the year and compare to baseline to determine percentage reduction.
Strategic: At a cost of $0.28/lb, the initiative should result in significant cost-savings to the organization. Additionally, the organization would like to qualify for Practice Greenhealh’s Partner for Change award for which a 15% or less RMW generation rate is required.
Other sample waste goals might include:
- Establishing a waste baseline within 6 months.
- Developing a viable, effective recycling program on patient floors within 12 months.
- Increasing recycling to 20% of total waste generated within one year.
- Implementing a reusable sharps container program within 12 months.
- Piloting a composting program for pre-consumer waste in the kitchen by end of third quarter.
Practice Greenhealth can help research and implement a variety of programs depending on the findings of the organization’s baseline waste assessment. Let us know if you need help!
