Innovation Exchange

Healthcare

Hospitals and Clinics, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Equipment

Healthcare

The U.S. is in the midst of the biggest hospital-building and health care boom since World War II. Health-care facilities are using this opportunity to implement greener building principles, boost energy efficiency and reduce the use of toxic chemicals. Elsewhere in the industry, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers are improving methods for producing and packaging their products.

Make your operations more environmentally friendly

  • Use energy efficiently and build green - Enhance your facilities through increased natural lighting, improved energy and water efficiency and the use of renewable materials. Find best practices for healthy and sustainable building design, construction, and operations for the healthcare industry at The Green Guide for Health Care and Energy Star for Healthcare.
  • Manage your sales fleet wisely - Opt for more fuel efficient fleets and follow the Four Cs strategy to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Manage risks of nanotechnology - Although nanotechnology yields promising new innovations in the healthcare industry, it also presents unknown risks. Explore the benefits of nanotechnology responsibly by having proper risk management procedures in place.
  • Reduce packaging waste - Reduce the amount of material used in packaging and increase the use of recycled content.

Collaborate with your customers and suppliers

  • Supply Chain - Hospitals and clinics have an opportunity to use their purchasing power to choose more environmentally-friendly products and motivate environmental performance from their suppliers.

Examples: What health care companies are doing

  • Abbott Laboratories, one of the world’s leading health care companies, significantly reduced emissions and costs from their vehicle fleet.
  • New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s commitment to energy efficiency has led to energy savings of over $1.77 million annually and receipt of EPA’s Energy Star Partner of the Year award three times in a row.
  • Environmental Defense Fund partnered with DuPont to develop the Nano Risk Framework to help mitigate risks associated with nano drug and device manufacturing.

Posted: 29-Oct-2008; Updated: 26-May-2009

Print : + : Contact us     Rate:
Avg: --, 0 votes
Five Stars Four Stars Three Stars Two Stars One Star

Get Updates from the Innovation Exchange

Sign-up to receive periodic email about sustainable innovation and our activities.

Visit our blog
Follow us on Twitter
Privacy Policy