By Healthcare Facilities Today

Hospitals operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And in the process of treating patients, they use a lot of water and energy and generate a lot of waste from medical products, protective drapes and packaging. Starting a sustainability program not only reduces waste by recycling materials and saving energy, but it also helps protect our communities, according to an article on the Ragan's Health Care Communications website.

The article suggested seven ways for hospitals to better use their resources:

• Establishing a green team

• Document destruction services

• Medical device reprocessing

• Document management services

• Capital equipment re-selling and recycling

• Computer hardware disposal

The last suggestion is to seek LEED certification: Having a building LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified will help: lower operating costs; conserve energy, water and other resources; provide a healthier environment for occupants; and qualify for incentives, such as tax rebates and zoning allowances.

Read the article.