More hospitals are reducing patient and staff exposure to toxins by purchasing and using safer chemicals, according to the 2014 Milestone Report, released by the Healthier Hospitals Initiative (HHI).
The report summarizes three years of progress among hospitals across the country that submitted data to quantify their sustainability efforts.
Hospitals participating in HHI worked throughout the past year to transition to PVC- and DEHP-free devices, to purchase more “green” certified cleaning products and to purchase at least 25 percent of furnishings without halogenated flame retardants, formaldehyde, perfluorinated compounds and PVC.
According tot he report:
The report also found that reductions in energy use and waste continue to drive cost savings. US hospitals emit 8 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and create 28.4 pounds of waste per hospital bed per day. Reducing the energy use in hospitals and increasing recycling and reuse are paramount to improving the sector’s environmental footprint.
Report highlights include:
In its first year, HHI kept more than 100 million pounds of waste out of landfills.
Launched in April 2012, HHI was designed as a three-year national campaign to promote a more sustainable business model for health care, while reducing the negative health and environmental impacts of the industry. HHI will now continue as a free program of Practice Greenhealth, providing participating hospital systems with tools and resources to drive positive change.