Behind the food industry, the medical industry is the most wasteful when it comes to trash. I had the pleasure of spending the past week in the hospital with our newborn son (isn't he cute?) and in between naps- got to do a full green audit of the spaces that I was allowed to interact with. Here are some of the things that I noticed that we should be doing much better since it is now 2012. Note these all are things that either save money without an upfront investment- you don't have to spend money to "go green".
1. Waste management- Could not find a recycling bin in either the maternity ward, or the cafeteria.
2. Waste management- Did not get the option to use silver ware or plates. I had to use plastic and foam.
3. Health/ Waste management- McDonald's was the only food source that was available 24/7. Not healthy or green with all of the packaging.
4. Indoor Air Quality- I sneezed every time I had to use the soaps or hand sanitizing solutions since they had so much perfume in them. If I sneezed- imagine what the lungs of a 4 day old felt.
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5. Indoor air quality- The cleaners that they used in the room were not low-VOC. Not good for mothers, babies or the people working around them.
6. Energy Management- Did not see any occupancy sensors in any of the spaces that were not in use 24/7 so they could shut off to save power.
I could go on and on, however in a space with so many smart people working in it, why are we still so wasteful? There are many articles that I have read on this and have consulted other hospitals that were much worse. If you want to see a medical facility in Atlanta with a green business/ marketing plan- check out Emory- http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/about-us/sust...
It's not hard as long as you stick to the basics- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Bob the Builder and
