Tohelp reduce the amount of waste in landfills and demonstrate a commitment to water quality, New York Hospital Queens has initiated a sharp management system and pharmaceutical waste compliance programs this year.
Joining the “Going Green” plan, the New York Hospital Queens has partnered with Stericycle, a medical waste management company, to improve pharmaceutical and medical waste disposal; regular solid waste disposal; sharps disposal and recycling of cardboard, paper, plastic, metal and glass.
The hospital has also installed the Sharps Management System using Bio Systems reusable containers, to reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint. With these green initiatives, the hospital expects to prevent 34,203 pounds of carbon from being emitted annually by not sending 57,644 pounds of plastic and 4,453 pounds of cardboard to landfills. These numbers equate to conserving 1,761 gallons of gasoline.
“These programs further our hospital’s commitment to environmental best practices and protecting our community,” said Vito Cassata, vice president, General Services and Facilities Planning, New York Hospital Queens. “We need to remain ahead of regulatory compliance for managing pharmaceutical and other waste. We anticipate that these programs will reduce our waste stream management costs.”
Apart, from the above installations and programs, New York Hospital Queens is starting a pharmaceutical waste compliance program, with which it can manage pharmaceutical waste that can be complex and affect the nation’s water supply when pharmaceuticals, if not disposed of properly. The Associated Press reported in 2008 that pharmaceuticals were detected in the drinking water of 41 million people living in states across the country.
The hospital has also partnered with federal, state, and city agencies, including the EPA, Department of Energy, New York State Research and Development Authority, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation to become a “green team.”
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Jyothi Shanbhag is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of Jyothi's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Rich Steeves
