Do no harm. The underlying tenet in health care applies to all hospital operations, not just those that take place within hospital walls. Saving lives and promoting community health are commendable undertakings. But to fully achieve their realization, hospitals need to be good environmental stewards.
Yet hospitals are in an unusual predicament. As community leaders and stewards of community health, the provision of care generates considerable waste — more than 6,500 tons per day — that consumes landfill space and ultimately impacts the environment. Sustainability programs help hospitals significantly reduce their environmental impact. They also can lower costs, improve organizational performance and enhance patient and employee experiences.
Implementing a sustainability program requires significant cultural change and time. A good place to start is by examining what comes out of the facility. Waste reduction involves the diversion of waste from landfills through recycling, source reduction, reuse, repurposing and composting. Eighty percent of hospital refuse is solid waste, about 50 percent of which is recyclable. Focusing on waste disposal will provide some easy gains that can build support for future efforts.