By Beth Starkin, GreenPepper
When we think of waste in the healthcare industry it is typically in terms of waste associated with actual treatment - too many tests, too much unneeded medication and too many wasted hours in the waiting room. While all those are indeed true and in need of reform, it's rare anyone looks at the waste in our healthcare system with regards to the environment.
For five days last week, I sat by my boyfriend's bedside at the hospital, as we experienced the above mentioned waste firsthand. As he got better, and the test results all came back negative, I started focusing my attention on a different kind of waste - the individual plastic cups with two blister packed pills inside that were delivered three times a day; the 10 paper cups brought by the nurse each day with as many straws; the linens that were changed twice a day and the many, many towels that were brought and washed each day. At the end of it all, his consumption had easily tripled during that short visit to the hospital - and he wasn't really a model for sustainable living beforehand.
My point here, and yes, there is a point, is that when we are looking improving our carbon footprint, we have to look across all sectors, not just the usual suspects of manufacturing, transportation and energy. There are multiple opportunities to find efficiencies in the service sector as well, and it is critical we broaden our views. The time for reform has come.
Practice Greenhealth, formerly U.S. EPA’s Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), is regarded as the environmental standard in the healthcare field. The organization is dedicated to positive environmental stewardship and best practices by organizations in the healthcare community. Their network, of members include hospitals, healthcare facilities, learning institutions, and businesses committed to the health of our environment as well as their patients and staff.
While your experience during your boyfriend's hospital visit illustrated the amount of waste generated within the healthcare industry, there are also many established programs for greening healthcare. Starting with proper facility management (i.e. disposal of waste) to green purchasing, green construction/building, green cleaners, proper disposal of pharmaceuticals, and recycling old medical equipment and operating materials.
Through Practice Greenhealth, healthcare facilities have access to resources and tools to implement green practices. If the hospital you visited isn’t already a member, encourage their facility or operation manager to visit practicegreenhealth.org.
Posted by: Theresa | October 07, 2009 at 06:54 AM