Tools and resources

Ten-step guide to a sustainable grounds policy

• Pest Management
• Guide

Every time you see a little yellow sign on a lawn indicating a chemical application has occurred and think to yourself the harmful effects will be gone in a few days, think again.

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Sustainable resilient flooring choices for hospitals

• Furnishings
• Buildings

Hospital stakeholders are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability and its implications for their building practices. One way that hospitals can green their buildings is by using more sustainable materials in their facilities. There has recently been a great deal of interest in finding sustainable resilient flooring solutions.

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Transportation: Supply Chain Options to Reduce the Impacts from Freight

• EPP
• EPP Resource

Supply Chain Options to Reduce the Impacts from Freight Purchasing Guidance - Specs/RFP Questions to ask Freight Carriers to Reduce Fuel Emissions Hospital/GPO: Consider the resource above when purchasing distribution services and other contracts where products or services are delivered to hospitals. EPA's SmartWay Program provides an opportunity for hospitals, who ship and receive items…

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Office Supplies

• EPP
• EPP Resource

Purchasing Resources When procuring office supplies, opportunuities exist to find cost savings and products that contain one or more environmental attributes. Look for ways to reuse or reduce use of supplies, purchase with recycled content and avoid chemicals of concern - such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and antimicrobials. Criteria Mulitple criteria: Office Supplies, RFP/RFI Questions  (…

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Leaner Energy: Background

• Climate and Health
• Leaner Energy

Background Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration illustrates that buildings are responsible for almost half of the energy consumed and 38 percent of all GHG emissions in the United States. According to the EPA, inpatient health care ranks as the second largest commercial energy user after the food service industry. The US Department of Energy notes that hospital energy costs rose…

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Purchasing guide to sourcing dairy products without rBGH

• Food
• Food and Beverage Purchasing
• Purchasing
• Sustainable procurement
• Sustainable food service operations
• Guide

(Health Care Without Harm) Purchasers can take the following steps to source dairy products produced without the use of the dairy drug recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH generally referred to as BGH, also called rBST or Posilac (the brand name of the drug).

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Purchasing guide to sourcing food without genetically engineered ingredients

• Food
• Food and Beverage Purchasing
• Purchasing
• Sustainable procurement
• Sustainable food service operations
• Guide

Purchasers can take the following steps to source foods produced without the use of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients (also called “genetically modified” or “GMOs”).

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Purchaser's guide to sourcing sustainable coffee and tea

• Food
• Food and Beverage Purchasing

Coffee and tea production have become increasingly industrialized since the 1970s relying on more chemical-intensive fertilization and pest control techniques and other practices that can have many negative social, economic, and human and environmental health impacts. As organizations that purchase, serve or otherwise make coffee and tea readily available to patients, staff and visitors, health…

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Redefining protein: Purchasing considerations (Health Care Without Harm)

• Food
• Food and Beverage Purchasing
• Mitigation
• Purchasing

[Plant-Forward Future] Research reveals that certain dietary patterns have been noted to have the ideal composition for human health and reduced environmental impact. This guide offers procurement recommendations based on values of sustainability, nutrition, social, and animal welfare concerns. These considerations were generated based on findings detailed in "Redefining protein: Adjusting diets…

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Delivering community benefit: Healthy food playbook (Health Care Without Harm)

• Food
• Community Benefit and Wellness
• Toolkit

(Health Care Without Harm) Hospitals can tackle food insecurity, obesity, and chronic disease while promoting healthy, local, and sustainable food systems. The “Delivering community benefit: Healthy food playbook” inspires and supports health professionals with resources to address diet-related community health needs.

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