By Elaina Myers, Assistant Editor

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions hotspots are the areas of operation in a healthcare facility that generate the highest carbon emissions and account for a large share of climate impact.  

The healthcare sector accounts for approximately 8.5 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions, according to a report released by Boston Medical Center (BMC) in partnership with Takeda. While many healthcare organizations have reduced emissions through lower energy use, waste management remains a significant challenge because regulated medical waste (RMW) requires specialized treatment and disposal methods.  

BMC conducted three waste audits in key clinical areas. The audits found that about 75 percent of RMW had been incorrectly sorted and could have instead been disposed of through recycling or municipal waste streams. The report also estimates that improving waste segregation could reduce waste-related GHG emissions by up to 69 percent.  

The findings also showed that although RMW represents only about 4 percent of BMC’s total waste by weight, it is responsible for approximately 30 percent of the organization’s waste-related GHG emissions. Correcting waste sorting practices alone could reduce BMC’s overall waste-related emissions by up to 20 percent while also lowering disposal costs.  

The report also identified opportunities to reduce emissions by decreasing packaging material weight and improving the recyclability of commonly used products including intravenous (IV) bags and plastic medication bottles. 72 percent of discarded IV bags are unused and across their lifecycle, plastic medication bottles generate an estimated 38,927 kg CO2 e, which is equivalent to over 99 thousand miles driven by a car. 

To help other organizations replicate the work, BMC has also published a practical guide for conducting healthcare waste audits. Their three-year initiative will now move into solution development during year two, followed by interventions with clinicians, operational leaders and industry partners to develop decarbonization solutions across the healthcare sector.  

Elaina Myers is the assistant editor of the facilities market. She has covered various topics from pest management to resilience to sustainability and is the beat writer for special days. She also runs the FacilitiesNet social media accounts.