Health systems demonstrate success in reducing plastic waste and generating savings

A new set of case studies from Practice Greenhealth highlights how three U.S. health systems successfully reduced plastic waste and cut costs through targeted initiatives.
 

OSF HealthCare revived its single-use device reprocessing program after a vendor change caused disruptions. A pilot at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, driven by a multi-department team, fixed workflow issues and boosted staff awareness. The result was a significant increase in collection rates for two devices (one rose from 23% to 31% in six months), preventing about 650 pounds of plastic waste annually and uncovering new opportunities to reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions.
 

University of Vermont Health focused on eliminating disposable blood pressure cuffs, a significant source of both cost and waste. A pilot in the cardiovascular unit proved the ROI on reusable alternatives in under one month, cutting disposable purchasing by $1,400 per month. The reusable cuffs are projected to avoid 500 pounds of waste and more than 1 MTCO2e annually over their 3-year lifespan.
 

Rush University Medical Center tackled high-volume plastics in the operating room. Working with Practice Greenhealth, Rush created a cross-departmental coalition to pilot a conversion to reusable patient positioning devices. This collaboration secured approval for the reusable devices and is projected to save $20,000 over two years (a 30% spend decrease) while averting 6,400 pounds of waste annually (almost an 80% decrease).
 

These examples underscore the power of data, collaboration, and pilot programs in generating significant environmental and financial returns for health care organizations.
 

Learn more at CleanMed

For more insights and strategies on reducing plastics and advancing sustainability in health care, join us at CleanMed, the premier conference for environmental excellence in health care. CleanMed takes place May 12-14 in St. Louis.