The Cost of Medical Waste: Finding Value in Sustainability.

Means & Matters takes a behind-the-scenes look at the latest ways hospital CFOs turn green into gold via hospital waste.

Hospitals produce excessive amounts of trash, racking up unnecessary costs and environmental impacts. This waste is especially apparent in operating rooms, where millions of dollars’ worth of surgical items are discarded annually. The effects of climate change highlight the need for healthcare to “do no harm” and work more sustainably, with less harm to the environment.

The solution? Incorporating waste reduction practices into hospital systems can save money and minimize environmental harm. According to Practice Greenhealth, hospital environmental initiatives can save $100,000 per facility and avoid 146,750 tons of waste from entering landfills.

The article notes that redesigning products and systems can help hospitals transcend the traditional “reduce, reuse, recycle” model. NewGen Surgical has sustainably redesigned a top single-use plastic item in operating rooms: the surgical kit.

Collaboration across departments and among stakeholders is needed to realize sustainability in healthcare. CFOs and other relevant players can work together to reduce medical waste to lower long-term costs while simultaneously mitigating climate change.

Read the full article here

 

Jul 8, 2021