From Guest Blogger Anica Oaks: Four Innovative Ways the Healthcare Industry Can Implement Green Practices

  The healthcare industry is one where you would think green practices would already be implemented. However, there are some hospitals and offices that are still doing things that are harmful to the environment. From educating others to ensuring that the office you’re working in follows green practices, there are several things that you can do to make the Earth a little healthier.

Localizing All the Way

In order to save money and go green, the business can order local foods and other items. There are often plenty of farmers who are willing to make deals with the healthcare industry, such as hospitals or offices, so that they can have their foods served in the cafeterias. Local food will help to cut down on the cost of gas that is used to deliver items from other cities or states. It also helps the farmer to make money to support his family.

Education

If you have a nursing master degree, then consider using your skills to educate the people in the community about green practices. You can create a slideshow with the information that you want to deliver so that you don’t waste paper by printing pamphlets. One of the ways that you can alert people to green practices is with demonstrations. Offer a few samples of things that can be used, or take the people who attend to an area of the medical facility so that they can see the practices in use.

Water Use

A medical facility will likely use a good bit of water keeping everything clean and to perform some procedures. The facility can replace the toilets so that they don’t use as much water and put timers on the showers that the staff uses before or after a shift. Efficient alternatives are also an option for sinks as you can use a non-touch option that only stays on for a short time.

Using Less Energy

While this is sometimes hard in a medical facility, there are a few ways to use less energy. Lights that are on a dimming device can be used so that they automatically turn off in a patient’s room if the patient isn’t in there or if the patient goes to sleep. Air and heating systems can be reprogrammed so that they heat and cool at lower temperatures, saving the amount of energy that is used. Keep an eye out for emerging healthcare technologies that can improve efficiencies.

A medical facility has to use certain things in order to operate. You’ll see that once a practice is implemented, it’s easy to abide by in most cases. Educating others is the first step to any green practice so that everyone understands the process.