As for the executive level, Brannen recommends an “environmental leadership council” made up of the highest-level executives possible from a variety of departments. “This council would only meet twice a year, or maybe quarterly,” explains Brannen. “They make institutional decisions and commitments. They might sign off on an environmental mission statement, for example. They legitimize in a big way what the institution is doing.”
Talk Trash
An easy and obvious place to start an environmental effort is by reducing the amount of waste your hospital produces.
“It makes sense to start with waste and move on from there,” advises Daubach-Larsen of starting a Green Team effort. “H2E offers a waste management template to help you gather data on your waste streams. You can use that data to show management” how much more efficiently your hospital can work. She advises that hospitals audit their various waste outputs, including hazardous waste, recycling, and general trash, with the help of their waste vendor. “You can save money immediately, starting with a study of what’s going on,” she says.
With the data collected on waste and the buy-in of management, you can begin the work of shifting more waste toward recycling—or perhaps eliminating some waste altogether.
“Improve your relationship with your waste vendor,” advises Daubach-Larsen. “You can start to push them to accept more recyclables. When they realize there’s a demand, they’ll accept different materials.”
Address Toxins, Energy, and More
Beyond reducing waste, hospitals can make many environmental improvements—it’s simply a matter of choosing priorities. “The spectrum is large and can be overwhelming,” admits Daubach-Larsen.
In addition to waste and recycling, H2E helps hospitals address a wide variety of environmental issues. “We’ve moved on to environmentally friendly purchasing, green building, safer material choices, and energy efficiency,” says Brannen.
One area many green hospitals are beginning to watch closely is their purchasing, including their vendors. “We’re members of a group purchasing company that has green management strategies,” says Daubach-Larsen. “Most of the big groups are now on that bandwagon.” As part of their green purchasing habits, Lutheran General is trying to expand their use of products that are environmentally friendly. “We’ve also started sending out an RFP [request for proposal] asking vendors about their practices,” says Daubach-Larsen.
“Supply chain management is so important,” stresses Leciejewski. “If we watch what’s coming in our front door, we don’t have to worry so much about what we’re sending out our back door.”
CHW is currently working on multiple projects, including reprocessing surgical instruments, responsible disposal of their electronic waste (such as computers), reusable sharp’s containers, and a commitment to the healthiest food possible. “We’re looking at everything from working with organic vendors to the silverware and Styrofoam we use in our cafeterias,” says Leciejewski.
Another area of environmental consciousness is new construction. So-called green building is becoming a trend that reaches beyond healthcare. “If you’re not designing a green building before you break ground, you’re behind the times,” says Brannen. “This movement is really gaining steam, and the cost payback is pretty staggering over the life of the building.”
Daubach-Larsen adds, “Even if you’re not building, you can still incorporate new behaviors that will reduce your footprint on the environment.”
Save the Environment=Save Money
Are green practices too expensive for some hospitals? “The challenge is that people say they don’t have the money to spend [on better environmental practices], but they’re spending too much [now] and they’re tossing resources,” says Brannen.
Daubach-Larsen adds, “There are a lot of efficiencies” that can be realized through green practices. “Reducing solid waste and increasing recycling can save money,” she points out. “Our numbers of hazardous waste, or ‘red bag waste,’ are very low compared to other hospitals—it costs more to dispose of this waste.”