By Joe Hannibal / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

It’s no secret that hospitals produce millions of tons of waste annually. In fact, according to Practice Greenhealth, 5.9 million tons of waste are generated each year ¹.  from more than 5,000 hospitals in the U.S. alone ², with over 20 percent of hospital waste being plastic packaging and products ³. Fortunately, hospitals across the nation are making strides towards prioritizing waste reduction, reducing their environmental footprint, and instituting more environmentally friendly practices. And the industry is taking an active role in this effort, particularly when it comes to recycling single-use products like sterilization wrap, a product designed to maintain the sterility of surgical instruments until use in the operating room. 

Below are six strategies for implementing sustainability efforts in the hospital setting:

• Leverage vendor expertise – Manufacturers that produce single-use products have a responsibility to help their customers manage the impact these products have on the environment. Halyard’s BLUE RENEW* Wrap Recycling program, for example, was developed from an understanding of the need to strike a balance between protecting the patient and protecting the environment. Designed to help keep Halyard sterilization wrap out of the landfill, the BLUE RENEW* program was launched in 2010 to assist healthcare facilities in successfully recycling used, clean HALYARD* Sterilization Wrap from their operating rooms. To date, nearly 300 healthcare facilities participating in North America are diverting over 4 million pounds of wrap from landfills each year.⁴ A key consideration for facilities making or enhancing their sustainability commitment is ensuring that the program they select is customizable. BLUE RENEW* is not a “one size fits all” program, rather it is customized to meet the needs of healthcare facilities so they can actively achieve their overarching sustainability goals. Complimentary professional on-site consulting services are offered to educate and train staff on the program. In addition, BLUE RENEW* performance is monitored and a custom annual summary of key accomplishments is provided.

• Cast a wide net – When attempting to tackle a sustainability challenge, gather ideas from staff members across your facility’s departments. Each will have a unique perspective based on their role and their goals. Be sure to engage all levels of employees; it is often those on the front lines who have the most practical and creative ideas since they are closest to the work. Many facilities that participate in BLUE RENEW*, for example, learned of the program through colleagues in the operating room or sterile processing departments.

• Secure executive buy-in – Engage hospital leadership as you gather feedback and develop your proposed solution. They will have a unique perspective around current and future organizational plans and priorities and will serve as your advocate. Use data to demonstrate how your sustainability program answers a critical business need or sustainability goal.

• Drive engagement through healthy competition – Once you’ve launched your sustainability initiative, consider creating an environment of friendly competition by tapping into people’s natural desire to compete against others and themselves. When the fifth largest health system in the nation, comprised of 39 hospitals across California, Arizona, and Nevada, initially launched the program over three years ago, only 4 hospitals participated. Today, 32 hospitals participate in the challenge. Healthy competition helps to foster a positive, collaborative culture, where colleagues can rally around doing something positive for their facility, community and environment.  

• Measure progress – Be sure to keep track of the progress and, when possible, quantify this progress to show the return on the investments made and ensure ongoing support for and ability to grow your initiative. Consider a partner who will help you measure your success. The BLUE RENEW* program, for example, provides participants quarterly or semi-annual collection numbers that are used to create a customized annual BLUE RENEW*sustainability report.

• Think circular – In today’s world, sustainability means more than simply recycling a product. It means ensuring that a product has a second life through redesign and reentry. Thanks to a new partnership between Halyard and Sustainable Solutions LLC, an organization that converts recycled goods into new products, sterilization wrap is collected and transformed into a material called BlueCON Resin ™, which is being used to manufacture environmentally preferred products that include distribution and product totes, garbage cans, bedpans, and wash basins.

While implementing sustainability efforts won’t happen overnight, leveraging these strategies will help you leave a lasting, positive mark on your facility and the environment.

Joe Hannibal is an Associate Marketing Director at Halyard.

^{1. More Needs To Be Done To Prioritize Climate Change," Health Affairs Blog, February 25, 2016. DOI:10.1377/hblog20160225. 053279}

^{2. http://www.aha.org/aha/resource-center/Statistics-and-Studies/REGISTRATION_FY_08.pdf#registered}

^{3. Grogan, Terry. “Solid Waste Reduction in US Hospitals.” Hospital Engineering & Facilities Management (2003): 88-91.}

^{4. Data on file with Halyard}