Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Developing sustainable systems for managing waste

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.