The Inova Health System, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., has launched a more aggressive waste-segregation and education strategy to cut down on red-bag waste, according to an article on the Modern Healthcare website.
When looking for ways to improve sustainable practices, Inova executives noticed the system was generating more regulated medical waste than was appropriate. While regulated medical waste should account for 8 percent to 10 percent of a hospital's total waste. Some of Innova's hospitals had percentages up to 38 percent.
Because regulated medical waste has to be specially treated, the costs are at least five to 10 times as much as regular garbage, the article said.
Tactics for reducing red-bag waste include:
• Educating employees
• Getting expert help
• Position containers carefully
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