Hospitals Save Millions with Sustainability Programs

As hospitals reconcile their massive environmental footprints, more systems are focusing on sustainability to cut their imprints and save money at the same time.

Hospitals are the second greatest commercial energy user behind commercial food services, according to advocacy group Practice Greenhealth , emitting roughly 8 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. They also produce more than 4.67 million tons of waste every year and use 7 percent of the country's commercial water supply.

"The operating rooms have a huge environmental footprint. They use 30 percent of the supplies for the entire hospital," said, Cecilia Lynn, director of sector performance and recognition for Practice Greenhealth. Fluid management programs, reformulation of operating room kits and unused tools, medical device reprocessing and HVAC setbacks for when ORs aren't in use can save $25,000 annually for just one operating room. The average hospital has 11.

John Utech, director of the Office for a Healthy Environment at the Cleveland Clinic for three and a half years, said the famed health system has done a lot over the past 10 years to become more sustainable.

The Clinic has committed to a 20 percent reduction in energy usage per square foot for their buildings and has achieved 12 percent so far, saving $6 million a year in energy costs.

Their LED retrofit lighting project, which they tout as the biggest such project in healthcare, hinges on locally manufactured LED bulbs, which pumps money back into the community. As the lighting throughout the system converts, Utech projects they will reduce lighting costs by $3 million a year just by switching lightbulbs.

"They improve optical clarity as well," Utech said.

Simply managing waste streams and separating trash can mean huge savings, Lynn said. Recycling rebates have reduced the cost to half the price of solid waste, she said. Sending a ton of recycling out the door cost half the price of what it would to get rid of a ton of solid waste.

Going further, regulated medical waste costs 10 times as much as solid waste. So if staff aren't paying attention and they throw their gloves, cups and various other pieces of waste in the regulated waste container because it's the only one in the room, that could be costing the hospital serious money over time, Lynn said.

Practice Greenhealth has been helping hospitals form and execute sustainability programs for nearly 20 years and Lynn said it doesn't take much for a health system to go green. For an easy start, Lynn suggests hospitals focus on recycling, waste stream management and even making sure staff is shutting off lights.

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