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Part of Impact purchasing commitment: Getting started guides
A brief overview of our purchasing commitment's seven core sustainability goals.
Type: Resources
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a problematic plastic because it requires additives such as plasticizers like diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), among others, and generates chemicals of concern throughout its life cycle – from manufacture, through use and disposal – resulting in potentially hazardous exposures to those chemicals in the workplace, in communities, and in some patients.
We have worked with hospital and health system members to identify high-priority product categories as defined by life cycle impacts, the potential for the release of toxic chemicals into the environment, exposures to… Read More
Type: Resources
Part of Purchasing Commitment: Getting started guides
Over the years, many products in the operating room setting have transitioned to single-use, disposable products, due to convenience, low cost, and infection prevention concerns. The process has led to significant volumes of plastics and other waste, often with little or no available recycling markets. While the upfront price tag of a reusable product may seem more expensive compared to a disposable product, a life cycle cost analysis or total cost of ownership - which takes into account considerations such as production/manufacturing,… Read More
Type: Resources
Part of Impact purchasing commitment: Getting started guides
Every day, patients and employees are exposed to a wide array of chemicals in hospitals and health care facilities, and the priority chemicals of concern have been shown to have a lasting negative impact on individual health, public health, and the environment. Furnishings can be a significant contributor to poor health in interior spaces, like hospitals, with chemicals migrating out into dust, food, air, water, and ecosystems during their life cycle. Additionally, if harmful chemicals are used to make furnishings, communities… Read More
Type: Resources
Part of Impact purchasing commitment: Getting started guides
Hospitals are energy-intensive, using 2.5 times more energy per square foot than a typical office building. The burning of fossil fuels drives both air pollution and climate change, with outdoor air pollution killing over 4.5 million people each year globally. Renewable electricity can replace power from fossil fuels – improving health, reducing climate impacts, and potentially reducing energy costs and price risks.
Smart energy buyers are developing clean energy portfolios that combine strategies, such as onsite solar and… Read More
Type: Resources
Part of Impact purchasing commitment: Getting started guides
The way our food is produced, processed, transported, made available for consumption, and consumed has profound impacts on environmental, public, and individual health. At each point in the food system, there are opportunities to support the health of workers, eaters, and the biological systems on which health depends. As large, mission-driven institutions, hospitals are uniquely poised to assert purchasing standards that support local and sustainable food systems for a greater cumulative impact on human and public health.
Type: Resources
These questions to ask during the RFP process will help make informed decisions when purchasing sustainable electronics.
Type: Resources
The Coolfood Pledge team provides members with guidance on developing a plan for serving more climate-friendly food while meeting other dining-related targets.
Type: Resources
This brochure, designed for the health care audience, shows how facilities can use the Coolfood Pledge to provide diners more of what they want while reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. The Coolfood Pledge is a tool that will help you increase delicious plant-centered offerings that will appeal to wide audiences, track your impact, and celebrate your successes. Participating hospitals receive technical assistance and support from Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth.
Type: Resources
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.