Designing and Implementing a Hospital Environmental Management Framework
Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Modern Canadian hospitals are large generators of landfilled waste. However, much of the waste disposed of by hospitals is divertible. A Hospital Environmental Management Framework (HEMF) was designed and implemented in a local hospital in an effort to control the organization's landfilled waste and improve environmental performance. Environmental issues are gaining awareness among businesses in other sectors, but are not commonly addressed in hospitals, where patient care takes priority over the environment. While specific, recommended waste reduction initiatives tailored to hospital operations have been widely published, information on how to implement these initiatives is lacking. The results from this research yielded a significant decrease in landfilled waste, a notable increase in recycled items, and a significant decrease in waste hauling costs, indicating that the HEMF was a success. The proposed HEMF can be implemented by other hospitals to improve their waste management.
Author: Taylor Purdy
Institution: University of Windsor
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W92462993