Doylestown Hospital has announced a commitment to continue to diminish its environmental impact by reducing carbon emissions with the Sharps Management System using Bio Systems reusable containers by Stericycle (NASDAQ: SRCL).
A recent study by the University of Chicago Hospitals and published in JAMA1 found that the American healthcare sector accounts for 8% of the U.S. carbon footprint. The analysis found that hospitals are by far the largest contributor of carbon emissions in the healthcare sector.
As hospitals begin to explore environmental practices, "green teams" are seeking ways to improve facility and health systems' practices. Few tools exist that specifically help determine a hospital's environmental impact. Using Stericyle's Carbon Footprint Estimator, Doylestown Hospital is able to assess its current carbon impact and significantly lessen its CO2 emissions.
Since 1986, U.S. hospitals using the Stericycle Sharps Management System Bio Systems reusable containers have kept almost 75 million disposable containers out of landfills. Whether hospitals choose to use disposable or reusable sharps containers, this type of regulated medical waste must be properly segregated and disposed in order to be safe and compliant. Disposable containers end up in landfills. Doylestown Hospital has been using the reusable containers since 2000, demonstrating its commitment to the environment by choosing to keep plastic and cardboard out of landfills.
Each reusable container saves the equivalent of 600 disposable containers from going to landfills. According to Diane Pennington, CHESP, Director of Integrated Support Services for Doylestown Hospital, "By switching to a Stericycle's Sharps Management Service using Bio Systems reusable containers nine years ago, we have prevented more than 118,000 pounds of CO2 from being emitted. This program is not only good for the environment, it reduces our disposable costs and allows us to reinvest in more healthcare programs to benefit staff, patients and our community."
The CO2 number was calculated using Stericycle's Carbon Footprint Estimator. The tool is designed to help U.S. hospitals determine the amount of plastic and cardboard containers, and the resulting CO2 emissions that they would keep out of the environment by switching the facility's use of disposable sharps containers to reusable containers.
The total number of emissions diverted by Doylestown Hospital includes 22,000 pounds of plastic and 1,775 pounds of cardboard just in the last year. This amount is equal to the CO2 emissions from not burning 678 gallons of gas.
Doylestown Hospital is building a tradition of environmental responsibility. In recognition of its environmental leadership, Doylestown Hospital received a Trailblazer Award from the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year. The EPA's Trailblazer Award recognizes hospitals in the Philadelphia area and Delaware that have served as models for other hospitals and shown leadership in a particular area of sustainability. There are several key initiatives at Doylestown Hospital that make a profound impact on patient safety and our environment, including housekeeping and infection prevention practices. In addition, the At Your Request food service, begun in 2008, has reduced food waste by 40%. To engage hospital employees and volunteers, a Green Team was formed to tackle the everyday challenges of greening today's hospital environment. The team has championed several causes, including single stream recycling, which was introduced in 2008 and has helped to more than triple the amount of recycled materials on campus.
About Stericycle:
Lake Forest, IL-based Stericycle (NASDAQ: SRCL) is a leader in healthcare-related services that protect people and reduce risk. With more than 430,000 customers worldwide, Stericycle has operations in North America, Europe, and Latin America. Visit www.stericycle.com.
1 source: The University Chicago Medical Center
2 www.stericycle.com/carbon-footprint-estimator.html
