Do you want to find a method to save your hospital time and money? You can adopt these methods while staying environmentally sustainable. The hospital and medical field use a large amount of commercial energy.
Hospitals also produce copious amounts of waste and use a large percentage of water. Energy and resources are used when hospitals handle patients. A lot of materials also go to waste, such as medical equipment and tools.
Waste management can save your hospital money and establishes better environmental sustainable practices. Here are ways to establish hospital waste management.
LED Lighting
Hospitals are illuminated by intense lighting throughout the building.
Switching to LED lighting helps a hospital become more energy efficient. Unlike fluorescent and incandescent lights, LED lights only move in one direction. This method doesn’t emit as much heat and the bulbs last longer.
In addition to saving energy, LED lights also save money. These savings correlate with the lasting power of the bulbs. With a hospital’s electricity demands, these savings are crucial.
Energy Efficient Equipment
Is your hospital using any old equipment? New equipment has energy-saving benefits. This should be the main reason to update your equipment.
Medical equipment, especially MRI and CAT scanners, are smaller and lighter than their original counterparts.
This helps a hospital save money. Radiation output is also minimized, which saves energy and is also more protective for the patient. These benefits also increase the effectiveness and speed and this equipment.
There are also new energy-efficient options for simple medical equipment, such as blood-testing technology. Brands such as Save Rite Medical offer this technology in the form of easy-to-use testing strips.
Even non-medical equipment uses a significant amount of energy and water. Switching to energy efficient machines can help save money on energy and water costs.
Unplug Equipment
Sometimes, the simplest actions improve hospital waste management. One of these actions is something you’re also urged to do at home: Unplug any equipment that’s not in use.
Think of how many types of machinery in your hospital and how often they’re not used. But they’re plugged in and powered on, even when they’re not used. This equipment can idle for several hours, wasting lots of energy and money.
Use a New Waste Management Protocol
How much waste does your hospital use? Waste such as food, human fluids, trash, and used equipment adds up. And oftentimes, this waste is misused.
Try and monitor some of the most common misused waste items, such as medical equipment. Decide what you can reuse and what needs to be thrown out.
Start to separate medical waste from regular waste. This helps you identify what you throw out and what you can do to reduce both types of waste.
Are You Ready to Use Better Hospital Waste Management Practices?
It’s easy to understand why hospitals need better waste management. Cost, energy and resource use adds up. Medical equipment takes up a lot of energy, but hospitals waste a lot of sources such as light and water.
New medical equipment is equipped with energy-saving functions. But developing better practices and waste management can also save money and resources.
Visit our resources to understand different ways to save energy.
