Case Study 

Company: Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center

Business Sector: Health Care

Published: June 2007

Highlights

• Phased out all medical devices containing PVC or mercury
• Replaced inefficient toilets, saving $8,000 in the first year
• Retrofitted surgery autoclave to save 4,100 gallons of water per day, and more then $18,000 annually
• Replaced water-cooled medical air system with air-cooled system, saving more than $47,000 per year
• One of the first Seattle hospitals to recycle food waste, with an estimated annual savings of $9,300

Background

What started ten years ago as an effort to reduce waste costs, has today become Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center’s “Clean Green Initiative” – an internal program that prescribes a wide spectrum of environmental improvements, from the use of organic bed linens and low-odor cleaning supplies to better water and energy management.

“The improvements we made in the 90’s were simply about saving money. We didn’t think about the fact that we were doing something good for the environment,” says Mitch Birchfield, Environmental Services Director and Hazardous Materials Manager at Children’s.

And while reducing costs is still a primary motivator today, it’s not the only one. “We realize now that what we do impacts future generations,” says Birchfield. “This is not a PR effort. What we are doing is genuine. It is for the health and well being of our employees and the children we care for.”

Going Green

Aligning itself with the mission of the national organization Hospitals for a Healthy Environment and consulting with Resource Venture, Children’s now clearly sees the connection between the health of the environment and the health of their patients and employees. Recent environmental successes span areas such as toxics reduction, water and energy conservation and food waste recycling.

Reducing Toxins

Like many U.S. hospitals, Children’s has replaced all medical devices such as thermometers with mercury-free alternatives. Children’s is also part of a smaller group of hospitals nationwide that have phased out products containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), such as IV tubing. Studies show additives in PVC can be toxic to both the reproductive and neurological systems, a particular concern for neonatal-intensive-care patients.

“The more you learn about the risks of these chemicals, the more obligated you are to find and use alternative products,” says Birchfield.

In addition, the hospital has switched to low-odor and low-VOC cleaning products, keeping harmful chemicals from leaching into the environment, and protecting the health of staff and patients who come in contact with them.

Cutting Waste

In 2007, Children’s was one of the first Seattle hospitals to collaborate with Resource Venture to launch a food waste recycling program. Food scraps from its kitchen and cafeteria are now collected for off-site composting. So far, the effort is diverting 1,400 pounds of waste per week from the landfill and it’s estimated it will save Children’s about 40 percent on their annual waste bill.

One of the most significant money-saving initiatives was eliminating 95% of the hospital’s bottled water supply in 2005. “Management was shocked to discover that we were spending $50,000 a year on bottled water trucked into the hospital,” says engineer Robert Greene. “I suggested that we install carbon block water filters in under sink locations for patient nourishment and staff rooms.” The hospital installed more than 80 filter locations, and realized an annual savings of about $40,000. This also cut down on waste from plastic water bottles, as staff now uses reusable containers. 

The hospital is also engaged in finding others ways to reduce their waste including electronics recycling. In 2006, they recycled 40 tons of computer monitors. 

Conserving Water

When Children’s learned of available City of Seattle rebates for installing high-efficiency toilets, combined with the annual savings on their water bill, they wondered why they hadn’t done it sooner. This relatively easy replacement of all their inefficient toilets will save them approximately $8,000 in the first year.

Even greater savings were achieved in 2004 by changing the hospital’s medical air system from a water-cooled to an air-cooled system. The upgrade resulted in annual savings of more than 4.2 million gallons of water and about $47,000. Retrofitting Children’s surgery autoclave using a Seattle Public Utilities’ water conservation kit saved them an additional 4,100 gallons per day and more than $18,000 per year. The retrofitted autoclave reduced its water use from 150 gallons per cycle to just 12.5 gallons per cycle.

Another simple change that has led to big water savings is through the use of “micromops” instead of traditional string mops for cleaning floors. Micromops use considerably less water—10 times less—and have the added benefit of more effectively capturing bacteria and viruses.

Lastly, the hospital’s food waste recycling program had the unexpected consequence of substantial water savings. Collecting food scraps eliminated the need for a garbage disposal, saving the hospital $58 per day on its water bill.

Want to learn more?

Contact Resource Venture at 206-343-8505 or help@resourceventure.org.