Environmental

Sustainability at
Western Health
Catherine O’Shea
Sustainability Officer
Western Health
Aims
• The environmental impact of healthcare
• What is healthcare environmental
sustainability (HES)?
• A framework for action
• Your professional role

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 Victorian
Public
Hospitals:
60% of the State
Government’s
Energy
1% of Melbourne’s
water
Waste equivalent to
200,000
households
What is sustainability in health?
• Achieving sustainable
environments for a
healthy lifestyle

• Integrating sustainability
within health system
performance

• Adapting to the
implications of a
changing climate
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Integrating sustainability within health
system performance
• Procurement
• Energy & water use
• Waste generation
• Carbon emissions
• Capital investment
• Transport fuel
• Corporate planning
• Policy & program design

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Statement of Priorities 2016/17

“Actively contribute to the development of the Victorian Government’s

policy to be net zero carbon by 2050 and improve environmental
sustainability by identifying and implementing projects, including workforce
education, to reduce material environmental impacts with particular
consideration of procurement and waste management, and publicly
reporting environmental performance data, including measureable targets
related to reduction of clinical, sharps and landfill waste, water and energy
use and improved recycling.”

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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 In 2009 formed Sustainability Committee

 Fostering Environmental Research
 2015 – 2020 Strategic Aim 4: Being socially
responsible & using resources sustainably
 WH Environmental Management Roadmap
– Local Sustainability Action Plans
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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 New contract for more environmentally

friendly chemicals; less waste (Ecolab)

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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 35% diversion of waste from landfill

 More than a dozen recycling streams
 Partner with Donations In Kind for reusable items
 One focus of environmental research
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Polypropylene Recycling- Two days of Sterile Wrap at Footscray
 What happens to the non-PVC plastic?

One tonne per month

=12 theatres
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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 300kW solar project approved for Sunshine Hospital

 Various energy efficiency projects (LED, VPO, hand dryers)
 Research projectsSwitchOFF Campaign

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Example of Utility Data Available with Meters and Wifi
 Electricity Consumption
(1 Steriliser for 304 Days)
30,000

25,000
Electricity Use (kWhrs)

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0
134 Deg. Cycles Accessory Cycles Idling
How we use Steam Sterilisers

• Idling periods were long

• Methods used could be applied:
 to all hospitals
 more broadly to other hospital equipment
• 1 of 4 sterilisers now switched off
 $15,000 p.a. and 10 Australian houses-worth of
electricity

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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 Installed water-efficient tap / shower fixtures

 Installed water tanks with new builds
 Ensure leaks are repaired quickly
 Drought tolerant landscapes

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Hospitals reducing environmental impacts
Case study – Cabrini
Laundry uses co-gen
and the ability to use
Class A water to achieve
50% reduction of
greenhouse gases

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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 Bicycle User Group

 Car pooling

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Carpool the West

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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 Plate waste is turned into soil amendment at SH

 Lots of organics waste recycling projects within healthcare
 A large scale one being scoped by DHHS

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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 PVC Recycling Program for irrigation bags, face masks tubing

 Adopt a plan for the procurement process that limits waste
 Pharmacy - Local Sustainability Action Plan 2015/16
 LCA of the environmental impact of one vial of morphine

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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 Encourage ecologically sustainable design in capital

works program. Currently the Joan Kirner Womens
and Childrens Build

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 What does a sustainable health care
facility look like?
Provision of
outside air

Good daylight
provision

Use of natural
finishes

External views
to parkland

Alfred Hospital Intensive Care Unit

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Global Green and Healthy Hospital
Agenda

 Criteria in the Business Case Template to offer

environmental considerations
 Require suppliers to have environmental credibility
 Work with suppliers to reduce packaging and provide
‘back of house’ systems to minimise waste
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 An LCA of Single use vs. Reusable
Anaesthetic Drug Trays

Single use items appear to be a “Washing reusable trays is

less expensive, yet “wasteful” expensive, uses precious
option water and dirty brown coal
- cotton and paper often for washing”
unused
 Results - LCA Drug Trays
• Reusing saves $, energy and water
• Single use trays alone:
- cost ($) twice as much
- slightly more CO2
- three times the water
- Cotton is “costly”
• By changing back to reusables we saved $12,000 p.a. etc.

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Reuse: Furniture and Equipment

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 And You?
• Public Health = Sustainable Health
- Co-benefits (smoking, diabetes, obesity etc.)
• Clinicians
- Is there staff interest? Yes! Particularly from nurses and junior doctors
- Start or join a group at your workplace
• C.E.O.s / Executive / Management
- Leadership
- Sustainability committees and officers
- Join the global dialogue
- Support staff acting in this domain
• Policy Makers
- Policy that mandates more sustainable buildings
- Funding models for renewable energy and energy efficiency
- Models of care that reduce the environmental impact of healthcare
• Research and innovation
- Reusable equipment
- Engineering opportunities
- Encourage environmental research
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