Health care is a major polluter both in terms of emissions and contributions to landfills. The combined health sectors of the United States, Australia, England, and Canada emit an estimated 748 million metric tons of greenhouse gases each year, more than all but the six top polluting countries in the world. Meanwhile, a report on 110 Canadian hospitals published in 2019 found those institutions generated nearly 87 000 tons of waste annually — roughly the […]

Health care organizations and medical professionals have shown a strong interest in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating sustainability into all aspects of a hospital’s mission takes focused commitment across the organization, as Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) leaders can attest. Two years ago, MGH launched its Center for the Environment and Health. The center integrates sustainability into MGH’s clinical, research and educational activities and is designed to improve the environmental health of the hospital and […]

As we sail through the digital age, a new frontier has emerged in the realm of environmental protection—the online sphere. This vast interconnected landscape has become an essential catalyst in propelling discussions about various environmental issues, and medical waste management sits at the forefront of these conversations. Given the tremendous environmental repercussions associated with mishandling medical waste, it is imperative to address this issue head-on. In this article, we will explore the intricate dynamics of […]

A medical waste company has filed a lawsuit against Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, alleging the system planted a human torso at the facility. The plaintiff, Monarch Waste Technologies, disposes of Sanford Health’s medical waste. It is suing Sanford and Healthcare Environmental Services, a company overseen by the health system, for inappropriate handling and delivery of regulated medical waste. The lawsuit alleges HES delivered a “human torso in a sealed plastic container” to Monarch, and […]

As we sail through the digital age, a new frontier has emerged in the realm of environmental protection—the online sphere. This vast interconnected landscape has become an essential catalyst in propelling discussions about various environmental issues, and medical waste management sits at the forefront of these conversations. Given the tremendous environmental repercussions associated with mishandling medical waste, it is imperative to address this issue head-on. In this article, we will explore the intricate dynamics of […]

The medicine is still perfectly good. Millions of uninsured or underinsured people need the drugs. Yet the pharmaceutical industry incinerates billions of dollars’ worth of unopened, unused, and unexpired drugs each year in America. This pharmaceutical waste leads to both economic and environmental challenges. The good news is the problems companies create when they destroy unused medicine aren’t difficult to solve. Pharmaceutical Waste Why is there so much waste in the system? There are several […]

Arlington, VA — Hospital units that consistently follow standard safety precautions experience nearly 40% fewer needlesticks and other sharps injuries than other units, a new study has found. According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, around 385,000 sharps injuries – involving syringe needles, scalpel blades and other sharp objects that come into contact with body fluids – occur annually among the 5.6 million health care workers in the United States. Researchers […]