Healthcare waste reduction

1. Healthcare waste reduction J. Michael Nied P2 SHWEC Intern

2. The purpose of the internship was to find cost effective ways to reduce medical waste, and other forms of waste

3. The main incentives to change were compliance with regulations, and cost reduction

4. A variety of research methods were used to gather the necessary information

5. Conducting a medical waste audit at a Marshfield Clinic lab

6. Medical waste reduction Improving Separation GI unit liquid waste canisters Reusable sharps containers Trace chemo waste

7. Medical waste is defined by DNR and OSHA • DNR: • Sharps • Bulk blood or body fluids • OSHA: • Drippable, pourable, squeezable, flakeable used to describe “bulk blood or body fluids”

8. Ensuring that regular trash is not thrown away as medical waste is an effective way to reduce cost

9. An estimated 10% reduction of medical waste will have significant results • Reduce medical waste by 23,000 pounds per year • Reduce disposal costs by a few thousand dollars per year • Comply with DNR mandated medical waste plan

10. GI unit liquid waste can be diverted to the sanitary sewer

11. The SAF-T pump is the best system for the GI department • Low Implementation Cost • $$$ Yearly savings • Payback: 1.5 years • Already used in other Marshfield Clinic departments

12. Soft trace chemo waste can be disposed of into bags instead of sharps containers Soft Trace Chemo Waste Hard Trace Chemo Waste

13. The oncology department has embraced this project and it is on its way to implementation • Implementation cost: $8,000 • Annual decreased purchasing costs • Reduced disposal • Total Savings: $13,200 • Payback: 7 months • Plastic waste reduction: 4,200 pounds of plastic per year

14. Reusable sharps containers will reduce waste and prevent pollution

15. Reusable containers also cost less money than disposable containers • Implementation cost: $0 • Savings: 17% for 60 month contract • Pollution prevented: 5,000 pounds of plastic containers

16. Other waste reduction projects These were the projects that did not involve medical waste

17. A significant amount of yearly waste comes from remodeling projects

18. Recommendations • May increase recycling by 6 tons per year • IROW recycling quote: 20 yard dumpster • Will reduce costs for large volume remodeling projects. • May want to be considered on a case to case basis

19. Energy efficient lighting will significant yearly cost savings LED Lighting T8Lighting

20. LED lighting is more energy efficient, but has a high implementation cost • Implementation cost: $200 per fixture • Payback period: 3.5 years

21. T8 lighting is less expensive to implement, and has a quicker payback period • Implementation cost: $70 per fixture • Less energy than T12, but same light output • Payback period: 1.8 years

22. Implementation • Recommend that lighting be upgraded where possible • Uncertainty about future remodeling projects is a barrier to implementation

23. Purchasing a cardboard compactor for the Hume warehouse did not have a desirable payback period

24. The Bulb Eater was not as cost effective or waste reducing as it claimed. • More expensive • More labor time • No significant pollution prevention

25. Conclusion • The recommended projects will reduce pollution and save money for Marshfield Clinic • It is my hope that these projects will be implemented and that pollution prevention activities will continue after I leave

26. Thank You • Manager Paul Steines • SHWEC advisor Jonathan Rivin • Bill Jeppson, Corporate Risk • Sue Weister, Recycling Coordinator • Marlene Jaglinski, SHWEC intern coordinator • Karrie Karl, Building Services • All Marshfield Clinic Employees

27. Any Questions?