Tools and resources

Standardized environmental criteria guidance

• Sustainable procurement
• Chemicals

Standardized environmental criteria technical details (Sustainable procurement guide) Practice Greenhealth’s standardized environmental criteria are explained in detail below in order for suppliers and health care organizations to understand the intent, rationale, and applications to products. General disclosure Responses to the following criteria are for information and may or may not be…

Learn More

PVC and DEHP position statement

• Sustainable procurement
• Chemicals

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…

Learn More

Furniture and furnishings procurement

• Chemicals
• Sustainable procurement
• Healthy interiors

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…

Learn More

How-to guide for Healthy Carpet

• Chemicals
• Guide
• Healthy interiors
• Healthy Carpet

The Healthy Carpet how-to guide assists hospitals in achieving the Healthy Carpet goal, which targets the elimination of chemicals and materials in carpet that can contribute to a wide range of negative health effects, including asthma, cancer, and developmental impacts, as well as environmental impacts.

Learn More

Healthy carpet criteria and manufacturer guidance

• Chemicals
• Guide
• Healthy interiors
• Healthy Carpet

These documents provide guidance for manufacturers wishing to meet Health Care Without Harm’s Healthy Carpet criteria. The criteria apply to carpet tile, broadloom carpet, and carpet padding. The criteria do not apply to area rugs and outdoor carpet and rugs. Manufacturers interested in developing a list of their products that meet the Healthy Carpet criteria should visit Greenhealth Approved.

Learn More

How-to guide for Healthy Flooring

• Chemicals
• Healthy interiors
• Healthy flooring
• Guide

The Healthy Flooring how-to guide assists hospitals in achieving our healthy flooring goal, which targets the elimination of chemicals and materials in flooring that can contribute to a wide range of negative health effects, including asthma, cancer, and developmental impacts.

Learn More

Healthy flooring criteria and guidance for manufacturers

• Chemicals
• Guide
• Healthy interiors
• Healthy flooring

These documents provide guidance for manufacturers wishing to meet Health Care Without Harm’s Healthy Flooring criteria. The criteria apply to all flooring except carpet, fluid applied floors, and concrete. The criteria do not apply to floor leveling compounds or underlayment. Manufacturers can signal the market that their products meet the criteria below by applying for the Greenhealth Approved…

Learn More

Sustainable procurement digest

• Sustainable procurement
• Chemicals
• Food
• Energy
• Buildings
• Transportation
• Waste
• Water
• Toolkit

This digest provides resources for purchasing sustainable products. Use the resources to identify environmental considerations for products and services, where to obtain more information, and the rationale for purchasing sustainably. Please contact the procurement team with any questions.  Sustainable procurement directory This resource provides Practice Greenhealth members with guidance on…

Learn More

Safer hand hygiene toolkit

• Member Toolkit
• Chemicals
• Hand Hygiene
• Antimicrobial
• Toolkit

Infection prevention and control in health care are of utmost importance. However, triclosan and triclocarban, antimicrobial ingredients commonly used in hand hygiene products in the health care setting, have been shown by multiple studies to pose risks for both employees and the environment. In response to these concerns, Practice Greenhealth developed a goal and how-to guide to eliminate the…

Learn More

Model integrated pest management contract

• Chemicals
• Integrated pest management
• Tool
• Exemplary Document

Your facility uses integrated pest management to alleviate pest problems with the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment. IPM emphasizes nonchemical strategies such as sanitation and exclusion to achieve long-term solutions. This model integrated pest management contract from the Beyond Pesticides and Maryland Pesticide Network may be useful as you facilitate your own…

Learn More