Seattle Children's Hospital has been honored with the state of Washington's top environmental award for its sustainable practices and sharing ideas with healthcare facilities throughout the region.
The Seattle pediatric care and research facility received the 2008 Governor's Award for Sustainable Practices. It is among four companies and organizations the state recognized this year for their success in moving Washington towards a more sustainable future.
"The organizations and businesses we recognize this year are outstanding examples of environmental, social and economic sustainability," said Jay Manning, director of Washington's Department of Ecology.
Manning said the award winners reduced or eliminated their use of toxic materials, applied key principles of sustainability, and conserved resources that otherwise would have been consumed.
Seattle Children's Hospital is a 250-bed hospital, specializing in pediatric care and research. The hospital was one of the first to recognize the dangers of plasticizers to newborns and has phased out medical devices that contain the chemical. Children's is also mercury free and has reduced its annual hazardous waste amount by more than 27 tons.
Manning said the hospital has saved water and energy by retrofitting and changing equipment, from the surgery autoclave to floor mops. The hospital reported annual water savings of 7,042,276 gallons, which translates to a savings of $89,891 in water-related costs.
Seattle Children's was the first hospital in the Pacific Northwest to compost food waste and now sends about 1,400 pounds each week for composting. They have also improved the management of waste from the operating rooms and in six months had reduced their amount of regulated medical waste by 36,000 pounds. Children's also reduced or diverted 284,542 pounds of solid waste, saving $50,796 in costs.
Children's also uses integrated pest control management for their grounds, follows environmentally preferable purchasing, and donates unused medical supplies and equipment to a non-profit organization for use worldwide. The hospital reduced its annual use of toxic material, cutting 120 pounds of xylene, 856 gallons of methanol, 1086 pounds of soda sorb, 856 gallons of formaldehyde.
In 2007, Children's shared their green hospital efforts with more than 80 organizations around the country through a teleconference organized by Hospitals for a Healthier Environment.