company’s rubber trees, Sempermed burns the wood to produce 100% of the thermal energy it needs to manufacture its gloves. Similarly, Integrity Products puts residual heat from its injection molding processes to good use heating its warehouse during colder months. Of the sustainability options mentioned


in this article, process improvement has the greatest potential to both reduce environmental impact and save money through increased efficiency. Five years ago, Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories (paml.com) set out to improve the environmental impact of its processes, specifically its courier mileage. Te company was burning through 5 million miles a year. By scheduling more efficient routes that avoid congested areas and dusty, unimproved roads, PAML has decreased its annual mileage by 1.5 million miles. Tis 30 percent reduc- tion earned the company an Association of Washington Business (AWB) Environmental Excellence Award.6


Barriers to Going Green With the availability of new


biodegradable products and medical waste recycling services, you might wonder why all medical facilities aren’t closer to becoming fully sustainable. In some cases, the biggest obstacles to “greening up” a clinical seting are the very people who want it most, its clinicians. Te drug and alcohol testing industry


is replete with people who by training or by temperament have developed a healthy skepticism. As in all scientific fields, it comes with the territory. Skepticism prevents us from falling for quick fixes and too-good-to-be-true solutions that put the integrity of our work at risk. To accept any new claim, we require a preponderance of evidence. Strict government regulation also creates


barriers to becoming more environmentally friendly. Clinical work demands products


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of the highest quality. For this reason, many technicians who are willing to give up a measure of quality for the sake of “going green” in their personal lives are reluctant to make the similar concessions in the lab. Performance must come first.7


To meet the


increased scrutiny and higher demands for quality, “green” lab products must undergo more rigorous testing than products outside the industry. For example, before launching its biodegradable specimen cups, Integrity Products sought validation of its claims from an independent laboratory. Tat’s to be expected, but the company also published two leaching studies by independent labs to assure its customers that the new additive would not affect their lab tests. Additional 95kPa approval ensures that the thinner walled cups are safe to transport by air. As company founder Jeff Bailey explains, “there’s no room for ‘good enough’ in this business.” Initially, the cost of becoming eco-


friendly created a barrier to many hospitals and labs. But just as hybrid cars have become more affordable, so have supplies and services to help clinical setings become more sustainable. In fact, reducing energy use and increasing efficiency oſten results in cost savings. Within its first year of establishing recycling containers and a command-wide commitment to energy savings, the Navy Lab reported a net savings of 40 percent in natural gas use and 4 percent in electricity use.8 In short, profitability and sustainability


are no longer mutually exclusive. Companies working towards a sustainable future call this new goal the triple botom line—people, planet and profits. Suppliers and service companies are lining up to empower you to make positive choices in your healthcare facility. In addition, companies in the health care sector are helping each other by sharing best practices. PAML, the lab that reduced its courier mileage by 30 percent in one year, now shares its Mobility Solution


with audiences across the country, evangelizing, “Going green reaps benefits that outweigh the costs.” For help tracking, managing and


minimizing your company’s waste streams, visit Practice Greenhealth (practicegreenhealth.org), a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to positive environmental stewardship. Tere you’ll find robust tools and resources, including best practices shared by organizations in the healthcare community. You’re already doing good in the world.


Going “green” enables you to do it a litle beter. ❚


(Endnotes)


1 Ghanadan, H., and M. J. Brown. “Greening Up the Lab—Part 1.” Linus Report 1 (2008). Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http:// www.thelinusgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/linusreport/ LinusReport_08v1_GreeninguptheLab_Part1.pdf>.


2 Kwakye, G., P. J. Pronovost, and M. A. Makary. “Commentary: a Call to Go Green in Health Care by Reprocessing Medical Equipment.” Acad Med 85.3 (2010): 398-400. Print.


3 “SPI—About Plastics—Five Major Myths About Garbage, and Why They’re Wrong.” SPI—Society of the Plastics Industry. Web. 04 Nov. 2011. <http://www.plasticsindustry.org/ AboutPlastics/content.cfm?ItemNumber=790>.


4 “Maximizing Your Knowledge. That’s How We Glove The PlanetTM.” Sempermed. Web. 04 Nov. 2011. <http://www. sempermedusa.com/slicks/SustainabilityMaterials.pdf>.


5 “BD 2010 Sustainability Report | The Environment | Product Stewardship.” BD: Medical Supplies, Devices and Technology; Laboratory Products; Antibodies. Becton, Dickinson and Company. Web. 04 Nov. 2011. <http:// www.bd.com/sustainability/2010/environment/product_ stewardship.aspx>.


6 “PAML Wins Environmental Excellence Award for Resource Conservation.” Esoteric Essentials 10 (Spring 2010). Web. 04 Nov. 2011. <http://www.paml.com/Files/Miscellaneous/ EE%20SPRING%202010.pdf>.


7 Ghanadan, H., and M. J. Brown. “Greening Up the Lab—Part 2.” Linus Report 1 (2008). Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http:// www.thelinusgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/linusreport/ LinusReport_08v1_GreeninguptheLab_Part2.pdf>.


8 Sroka, B. “Navy Drug Screening Laboratory Jacksonville Going Green.” JAX Air News [Jacksonville] 1 Apr. 2010. NAS Jacksonville. Web. 04 Nov. 2011. <http://www.med.navy. mil/sites/jaxdruglab/SiteCollectionDocuments/NDSL%20 Jacksonville%20Going%20Green%201Apr2010.pdf>.


Jill Hayden Reed is a freelance writer representing Integrity Products in Grandview, MO. She writes on issues related to human and animal health, tourism, fashion and information technology. See her portfolio at reedthewriter.com.


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