Tools and resources

Environmental considerations for plumbing products

• Sustainable procurement
• Buildings
• Green Building
• Water
• Less Water

According to the Us Geological Society, about 410,000 million gallons per day of water was withdrawn for use in the United States during 2005. Health care facilities can be one of the largest users of water in a community and, by reducing water use, can achieve a return on investment. Use these questions in your RFI or RFP to identify environmentally preferable products.

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Practice Greenhealth backgrounder

• Member Benefit
• Member engagement
• Membership
• New Member

Practice Greenhealth is the leading nonprofit membership and networking organization for sustainable health care. Our mission is to empower our members to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care through tools, best practices, and knowledge. Founded in 2008, Practice Greenhealth is the source for sustainability solutions for the health…

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Practice Greenhealth member: Employee engagement poster

• Employee engagement
• Poster
• Toolkit

(Employee engagement toolkit) These are sample posters from Practice Greenhealth promoting how healthy environments equal healthy people.

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Environmental considerations for commercial printing services

• Sustainable procurement
• Guide

We encourage consideration of the following questions in the RFP/RFI when contracting for commercial printing services. These questions apply to services providing commercial printing of annual reports, binders (loose-leaf/media), booklets, brochures, newsletters, flyers, calendars, catalogs, magazines, manuals, CD/DVD duplication & printing, direct mail letters, flyers, door hangers,…

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Pros and cons of specific sterilants and disinfectants

• Chemicals
• Sterilants and Disinfectants
• Report

OSHA animal studies show that ethylene oxide (EtO) is a known carcinogen; it may cause leukemia and other cancers. Inhalation can cause nausea, vomiting, neurological disorders. In solution, EtO can severely irritate and burn the skin, eyes, and lungs and may damage the central nervous system, liver, and kidneys or cause cataracts. 

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Pros and cons of sterilization and disinfection

• Chemicals
• Sterilants and Disinfectants
• Sterilization and Disinfection
• Green Cleaning

Here is a chart with some samples of pros and cons when considering sterilization and high-level disinfection options.

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VA Medical Center EPP memorandum, 2008

• EPP
• Policy
• Sustainable procurement
• Supply Chain

This 2008 VA Medical Center memorandum outlines their Green Procurement Program, including policy, planning, responsibilities, procedures, and more.

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St. Mary’s Health System Earth Day poster

• Earth Day
• Exemplary Document
• St. Mary's Health System

A poster promoting St. Mary's Health System Earth Day activities

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Sample EPP policy for a hospital or clinic

• EPP
• Policy
• Supply Chain
• Sustainable procurement

Practice Greenhealth created this sample environmentally preferred purchasing policy for member hospitals and clinics to adapt and adopt.

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2010 Environmental Excellence Awards Sustainability Benchmark Report

• Benchmark Report
• 2010
• Report

Practice Greenhealth has been recognizing environmental excellence in health care sustainability since the Awards program inception in 2002. This is the second annual benchmark report, based on data supplied in applications by 2010 Partner for Change (PFC) and Environmental Leadership Circle (ELC) award winners. The data mirrors the order of the 2010 applications so it can be used to compare a…

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