Dive Brief:
- According to a recent Harris Poll of US healthcare professionals, more than half of the hospitals in the nation think of sustainability when purchasing and more than 80% plan to engage in sustainable purchasing in the next two years.
- Some of the main motivations for making sustainable purchases include reducing costs through less waste disposal and reuse of products. By reusing transportation packaging materials, Intermountain Healthcare saved 20% by reducing cardboard packaging waste and labor and needed less storage space.
- Aside from purchasing, hospitals can also look for other ways to lower costs like reducing energy usage. Organizations can purchase sustainable materials and products like energy-saving lighting. Electronics like computers, monitors and imaging equipment that is energy efficient can also make a big difference in usage and costs.
Dive Insight:
Hospitals wanting to reduce costs through sustainable initiatives can look to others that are doing so to find out their practices. Groups like the Healthier Hospitals Initiative can also be a good resource. The organization is dedicated to "greening" healthcare by providing hospitals with a guide for reducing energy consumption and waste, using less toxic products and purchasing healthier food. Other resources include Practice Greenhealth a membership-based organization focused on purchasing and technology vendors like Hewlett-Packard.
Want to read more? You might enjoy this story on 4 hospitals that are saving money by going green.