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Sustainable Healthcare
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Mid-Atlantic State Information
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- How Healthcare Impacts the Environment
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How Healthcare Impacts the Environment
Hospitals make significant contributions to their communities by providing a wide variety of services. They are also major employers, with healthcare comprising approximately 16% of the national and regional economy. Hospitals operate all day everyday, making their environmental footprint large in many communities.
Hospitals impact the environment by:
- Generating approximately 7,000 tons per day of waste, including infectious waste, hazardous waste, and solid waste.
- Using mercury in medical devices, equipment, light bulbs, etc.
- Using materials that may have toxic effects: PVC, DEHP, cleaning materials, heavy metals in electronics, pesticides, batteries.
- Consuming large amounts of energy in buildings and car fleets, and generating significant greenhouse gas emissions.
- Consuming large amounts of water for domestic use and heating/cooling as well as landscaping.
Healthcare finds that reducing waste and energy use are often first steps in reducing its environmental footprint. Steps include:
- proper waste management
- reduced red-bag (medical) waste
- increased recycling, and
- purchase of Energy Star products, conducting energy audits and purchase of green power
However, to really reduce healthcare's environmental impacts, the following changes can be implemented:
- Materials management: Reduce use of toxic materials such as mercury, PVC, DEHP, cleaning materials, flame retardants, pesticides, and other similar products.
- Environmentally Preferable Purchasing: Work with group purchasing organizations and other suppliers to ensure that supply chains are sustainable. Purchase products with as much recycled content as possible.
- Electronics: Purchase only EPEAT products for electronics.
- Use LEED or other rating systems for new construction, renovations, and operations.
- Use green landscaping methods on your property to reduce water use and manage storm water more sustainably.
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Contact
Virginia Thompson is the winner of the 2009 Federal Women's Program Heroine Award. Virginia received the award at the "Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet" Workshop.
Virginia Thompson (thompson.virginia@epa.gov)
Office of Environmental Innovation (3EA40)
Environmental Assessment and Innovation Division
US EPA Region 3
1650 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
215-814-5755