Tools and resources

Landscaping integrated pest management template contract

• Integrated pest management
• Guide
• Buildings
• Green Building
• Sustainable procurement
• Chemicals

Generic template for contracting integrated pest management for landscaping services at a health care facility. 

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Environmental considerations for lab equipment using reagents

• EPP
• EPP Resource
• Sustainable procurement
• Greening the Operating Room
• Guide

Many autoanalyzers and other laboratory equipment consume reagents. In some cases, the equipment warranty is voided if non-approved reagents are used, or the equipment is provided on loan for free as long as the facility purchases the appropriate reagents. Thus, it is important, when selecting laboratory equipment, to ask for information about the environmental attributes of the reagents that…

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Inova Health System Green Ambassador program

• Employees Case Study
• Case Study
• Inova Health
• Toolkit

(Employee engagement toolkit) The Green Ambassador program trains and certifies Inova employees in sustainability, specifically initiatives and activities which reduce environmental impact and promote health and well-being for patients, employees and the larger community. The goal of the program is to develop a culture of sustainability throughout the organization and incorporate sustainability…

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Inova Fairfax Hospital: Regulated medical waste reduction

• Case Study
• Inova Health
• Less Waste
• Regulated medical waste
• Less Waste Case Study
• Toolkit

(Less waste toolkit) Learn how Inova Fairfax Hospital, a 900-bed trauma 1 community hospital in Falls Church, Va., reduced 14 percent of red bag waste and saved over $200,000 in waste removal fees.   

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Implementation Module: Rigid Sterilization Containers in the OR

• Greening the Operating Room
• Rigid Sterilization Containers
• Guide
• Reuse, donate, or sell

The operating room generates a large volume of disposable plastics, ranging from single-use medical devices to packaging to sterile wrap to plastic pour bottles for irrigation. The vast majority of these items go out the door as waste—either with regulated medical waste (where comprehensive segregation efforts have not yet been undertaken) or as solid waste or recycling. More efficient than…

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Implementation module: Regulated medical waste segregation and minimization in the OR

• Greening the Operating Room
• Regulated medical waste
• Guide
• Waste Segregation

The operating room (OR) is often the largest generator of waste within a hospital setting, and has been estimated to produce between 20-33% of the total waste generated in the hospital despite its diminutive spatial footprint. Of the waste generated by the OR, the largest percentage is often regulated medical waste (RMW), which can costs between 5 and 10 times more than solid waste to dispose of…

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Implementation module: OR kit reformulation

• Greening the Operating Room
• OR Kit Reformulation

This implementation module from the Greening the Operating Room Initiative defines best practices in the OR to reduce environmental impact, cost, increase efficiency, and improve worker and patient safety.

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Implementation module: Moving (Back) to Reusables in the OR

• Greening the Operating Room
• Reuse, donate, or sell

When considering how to reduce the environmental footprint of the operating room, it makes sense to first revisit the old adage of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. This common sense approach relies on the concept of avoiding use of materials or supplies that are not needed to protect or ensure patient or worker safety (reduce), using a reusable, preprocessed or reposable option where a product must be used…

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Implementation module: Medical plastic recycling in the OR

• Greening the Operating Room
• Medical Plastic Recycling
• Recycling
• Guide

Recent hospital data demonstrates that recycling in the OR can generate large volumes of recyclables—in excess of 1000lbs of medical plastics weekly at one large NYC institution with more than 40 ORs/surgical procedure areas.  At an average cost of $121 per ton for solid waste disposal and a price tag of $68 per ton for recycling the same material a hospital might pay nearly twice the price for…

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Implementation module: Fluid management systems in the OR

• Greening the Operating Room
• Fluid management systems
• Guide

A large portion of surgical waste is liquid waste — blood and body fluids diverted during surgery. This waste stream is typically collected in disposable plastic suction canisters. Hospitals are finding that another option—fluid management systems that empty liquids directly to the sanitary sewer—are safer for staff, better for the environment and offer long-term cost-savings.

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