5 Ways Hospitals Can Operate Efficiently and Be Environmentally Friendly
Environmental concerns are rising in importance for many business owners and customers alike, so many hospital administrators are looking for ways to operate green while still being efficient in caring for patients and staff alike. There are five main ways that administrators can do this including finding energy savings, changing how chemicals and waste are handling and even evaluating water conservation methods.
Energy Savings
Saving energy can also cut down on operating costs, especially in the long run. More hospitals are looking to buy solar panels for saving on energy bills as well as reduce the number of hours each light is on, switch to more efficient fixtures and bulbs or even upgrade to more energy efficient equipment. When you can do all these things, you can see energy savings on your bills while reducing your carbon footprint and not having to sacrifice patient care. It is a good idea to talk to your utility companies for suggestions on how you can install solar panels, reduce energy costs and lower your carbon footprint.
Chemical and Waste Handling
Handling biohazard waste is expensive as well as environmentally damaging, but making sure that your staff is properly trained and that reminders are posted where they can easily be seen, can save red bags from being used for non-contaminated items and keep more of them out of landfills. You can also find ways to handle some biohazard waste by sterilizing it first to be more environmentally friendly.
Cleaning chemicals can ensure that your facility is safely sterilized and protect patients, but many are caustic to humans as well as the environment. There are some manufacturers who produce more eco-friendly cleaning chemicals to medical environments which are certified by a third-party lab to be biodegradable, non-toxic and effective for killing pathogens.
New Buildings and Renovations
When it comes to new buildings and renovations, it can be relatively easy to talk to the designers and engineers about incorporating green systems and using sustainable materials. This is the least expensive time to talk about infrastructure changes because no walls will have to be removed to update wiring or plumbing and solar panels can be incorporated into the design. Creating a green hospital from the foundation up reduces the need to find new products and innovations which work well with older wiring and layouts, but you can add sensors on the lights to detect if there is someone in the room or automation controls to older buildings to save energy and reduce costs.
Supply Chain Sustainability
The more sustainably your supply chain operates, the lower your carbon footprint can be. Buying produce locally grown, for example, can save transportation emissions while helping neighboring farms. Some plastics used in making everything from your face shields to your baby bottles can be toxic to produce and leach toxins to users. Checking how green your suppliers are operating is a good way to ensure that your hospital is working efficiently and sustainably, it can also help you find cheaper or more local alternatives to some supplies.
Water Conservation
Reducing the water consumption in a hospital can be easier than you think. Using necessary renovations and repairs to replace toilets, faucets and shower fixtures with more efficient ones, for example, can save hundreds of gallons a year. Finding equipment upgrades or technical innovations in other areas can also save you money such as energy and water efficient washers and ice machines, newer water fountains and even better models of medical equipment. Remember your landscaping in your water conservation plans and switch to native plants requiring less water when possible. Changing your watering times to after dark can also save you gallons of water without killing your lawn.
Hospitals can still operate effectively while being more environmentally friendly and new innovations in conservation sciences are helping make this possible. Some changes you can implement without changing your budget, and others require an investment which will pay off in the future. Saving energy and water, for example, can also save you money on monthly utilities.
