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Hazardous waste
Hazardous waste is a small percentage of a hospital’s total generated waste, but it has a big impact on the waste management budget, costing on average more than 15 percent of total waste spending.
Hospitals need to have a clear understanding of how much hazardous waste they generate as different rules apply based on this total. It is also important to understand the federal and state laws that govern the definition and disposal of this costly waste stream.
The Practice Greenhealth waste tracker helps our members identify how much hazardous and universal waste they… Read More
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Clinical care is the single largest factor driving health care emissions, which means the health care sector will not be able to reduce emissions sufficiently without engaging health professionals in efforts to reduce the climate impact of clinical care.
Mass General Brigham (MGB) created four medical/clinical director of sustainability positions in recognition of the need for health professional leadership to advance climate-smart health care.
Through the leadership of the health professionals in these roles, MGB reduced its environmental impact and… Read More
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Medical and clinical director of sustainability positions ensure alignment between sustainability and clinical care – helping organizations reduce waste and emissions, engage and educate the clinical workforce, build resilience, save money, and improve care.
A growing number of health professionals currently serve as medical or clinical director of sustainability, or an equivalent title, for their hospital or health system. Health professionals, sustainability leaders, and administrators are increasingly discovering the full value these positions can bring to their organizations.
“Our… Read More
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Regulated medical waste, also called red bag waste, biohazard waste, or infectious medical waste is one of the most expensive waste streams to manage.
Though it can make up less than 8 percent of a hospital’s total waste production, it can cost more than 40 percent of their waste management budgets to handle.
Over the last 20 years, we’ve learned a lot about the impacts of regulated medical waste and its disposal from the hospitals we work with.
By narrowing down the scope of regulated medical waste into several sub-categories based on levels of risk they pose, hospitals can… Read More
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The Climate Excellence Standard for health sector suppliers defines superior performance in decarbonization on the part of individual suppliers – including manufacturers and distributors – to ensure the health care supply chain is aligned with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, while improving resilience. Reducing the health care sector’s reliance on fossil fuels is critical for reducing deaths and diseases related to greenhouse gas emissions, and the time is now for deep engagement across the supply chain.
Purpose and use:
Use of the standard will include showcasing suppliers that… Read More
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“By working collaboratively, it is possible to drive innovative solutions to reduce the environmental footprint of health care, while also reducing costs for both suppliers and purchasers.”
– Elizabeth Eldridge, Kaiser Permanente director of sustainable sourcing
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Hospitals and health care facilities generate a staggering amount of plastic waste each year resulting in equally large disposal costs and environmental impacts.
Kaiser Permanente’s environmental services and waste management teams discovered a waste and plastic reduction solution for disinfectant… Read More
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Practice Greenhealth’s 20 years of experience developing policy and programs for sustainable health care practices has guided our creation of tools and resources that empower hospitals to reduce both the costs and environmental impacts of caring for their community’s health needs.
Based on input from our members, we’ve made sure our resources capture the best practices and challenges at every stage of a program’s development and include practical guidance for:
Setting baselines
Identifying goals
Achieving stakeholder support
Implementing practice
Measuring and reporting results… Read More
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Sterilants and disinfectants used on surfaces, medical devices, and all items that come in contact with patients are an absolute necessity for infection control in any hospital.
The two most commonly used sterilants and disinfectants for medical devices in health care also have unwanted side effects for the health care workers who use them. They are:
ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogen; and
glutaraldehyde, with reported side effects experienced by health care workers, such as breathing difficulties, rashes, headaches and nosebleeds.
Both the use and disposal of toxic sterilants and… Read More
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Hospitals are environments for healing but many of the products and materials that come into a hospital may be harmful to patients, staff and those in the community. Some products used in health care may contain or release (during production, use or disposal) carcinogens, reproductive toxins, or other hazardous materials. Many of the chemicals used in products have not been adequately tested for toxicity. Additionally, there are a growing number of disposable products in health care and large amounts of packaging creating significant waste, and a variety of products that are energy or water-… Read More
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Join Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the health care sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.
Who We Are
Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,500 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada. Partnership opportunities include hospitals, health systems, community health organizations, NGOs, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, and the health care value chain.