Tools and resources

2024 sustainability benchmark data

• Benchmark Report

Practice Greenhealth’s annual sustainability benchmark report provides a powerful snapshot of the health care sector’s environmental progress. In 2023, nearly 430 participating facilities demonstrated remarkable sustainability achievements. The participating hospitals collectively: Saved more than $182 million on sustainability initiatives in 2023 Reduced more than 1 billion kBtus of energy…

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2023 sustainability data

• Benchmark Report

Each year, Practice Greenhealth collects and reviews comprehensive sustainability data from hospitals that report through the Environmental Excellence Awards. We provide the sector’s best sustainability performance benchmarking data to hospitals and health systems working to integrate sustainability into their mission, and to the health care supply chain partners that are integral to this work.…

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2022 sustainability data

• Benchmark Report

Each year, Practice Greenhealth collects and reviews comprehensive sustainability data from hospitals that report through the Environmental Excellence Awards. We provide the sector’s best sustainability performance benchmarking data to hospitals and health systems working to integrate sustainability into their mission, and to the health care supply chain partners that are integral to this work.…

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10 key elements for sustainable procurement programs

• Sustainable procurement

There are ten key elements in a best-in-class sustainable procurement program. The image below summarizes each element and where it is found in the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle,  a framework for developing and implementing a successful program. To learn more about each element and the PDCA cycle, refer to Practice Greenhealth’s sustainable procurement guide for health care. The guide serves as a…

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Sustainable food

The video below will provide an overview of the Impact Purchasing Commitment renewable electricity goal, rationale, data collection requirements, and supporting resources. Remote video URL

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Guidance for sustainable glove purchasing

• Sustainable procurement
• Global Green and Healthy Hospitals

This guidance document is part 1 of our series “Protection without pollution: COVID-19 waste-reduction strategies.” These three guides will help health systems, hospitals, and other health care providers set up successful immunization programs that protect the health of people and our planet.  Gloves are the highest-volume disposable product purchased by health care. Glove use has increased…

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Mayo Clinic: Replacing freezers leads to energy and cost savings

• Case Study
• Sustainable procurement

  A total cost of ownership and Sustainable Health in Procurement Project case study Name of facility, location Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota Highlights The Mayo Clinic had a fleet of over 1,000 lab freezers that use as much energy as about 1,000 homes. They standardized purchasing practices for their fleet of ultra-cold lab freezers to buy more energy-efficient models. By selecting…

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"Health care's collective purchasing power can shape the marketplace"

• Sustainable procurement
• Gary Cohen
• Purchasing
• Climate and Health

(Sustainable procurement guide) One of the greatest challenges we face today is embedding sustainability and justice into the things we buy. For generations, our march toward an increasingly globalized economy has come at the expense of our health, social justice, and the environment. For just as long, those costs have remained hidden, the harm externalized.  The COVID-19 crisis exposed the…

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Where to find sustainable products

• Sustainable procurement

Sample third-party labels, certifications, and databases for health care goods and services (Sustainable procurement guide) Finding sustainable products in health care is achievable through a number of resources. The list below provides links to sustainable products identified by Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm, and labels and certifications specific to the health care sector.…

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Standardized environmental criteria

• Sustainable procurement
• Kaiser Permanente

(Sustainable procurement guide) To reduce human health and environmental impacts of products purchased in health care, the standardized environmental criteria support identifying and purchasing sustainable products. The criteria address two important impact areas: chemicals of concern and waste reduction. Practice Greenhealth has developed guidance for the criteria that explains to suppliers and…

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