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Barb Kaiser,¹ Patrick D. Eagan,¹ and Hollie Shaner²

¹University of Wisconsin-Madison, Engineering Professional Development, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, ²Nightingale Institute for Health and the Environment, Burlington, Vermont, USA

Abstract

Health care waste treatment is linked to bioaccumulative toxic substances, such as mercury and dioxins, which suggests the need for a new approach to product selection. To address environmental issues proactively, all stages of the product life cycle should be considered during material selection. The purchasing mechanism is a promising channel for action that can be used to promote the use of environmentally preferable products in the health care industry ; health care facilities can improve environmental performance and still decrease costs. Tools that focus on environmentally preferable purchasing are now emerging for the health care industry. These tools can help hospitals select products that create the least amount of environmental pollution. Environmental performance should be incorporated into the evolving definition of quality for health care. Key words: environmentally preferable purchasing, green purchasing, health care, hospital, life cycle, pollution, purchasing, supply chain management, waste. Environ Health Perspect 109:205-207 (2001) . [Online 14 February 2001]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p205-207kaiser/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to P. Eagan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Engineering Professional Development, 715 Extension Building, 432 N. Lake Street, Madison, WI 53706 USA. Telephone: (608) 263-7429. Fax: (608) 263-3160. E-mail: eagan@engr.wisc.edu

We thank T. Cook, J. Koning, F. Kurk, T. Schettler, and T. Washburn for providing us with support, references, data, and insightful comments.

This work was supported by the Great Lakes Protection Fund.

Received 3 August 2000 ; accepted 30 October 2000.