HO!

Committee Increases
environmental awareness

LAST WEEK we looked at
some of the waste reduction
measures being undertaken
at Vancouver General Hos-
pital; today the spotlight’s
on our own Lions Gate
Hospital.
LGH has had an environmental
committee for more than three
years, although its office paper
and old corrugated cardboard
. (OCC) recycling programs date
’ back even further.

__. The environmental committee,

whose role is to research and

promote reduction, re-use and
recycling alternatives to current
hospital practices, is composed of
representatives from a wide variety
of departments ranging from
nutrition, to housekeeping, to

nursing and infection control.

The success of the employees
involved in bringing about im-
portant changes can be measured
not only in the amount of materi-
als diverted from the waste stream
— for example, 57 tons of OCC
-and 18.5 tons of office paper are

‘recycied annually — but in the
increased environmental awareness
that’s brought to routine hospital
procedures. . .

A supplier of sterile water bot-
tles, for example, was asked to
eliminate a protective plastic ring -
attached to the bottle cap, thou-
sands of which were being thrown
away at the hospital.

‘The company responded by
redesigning the cap without the

-ring. ;

LGH has also cut down on the
‘size of its disposable dressing tray,
“and streamlined its components so

less waste results.

Surplus equiprnent, such as
‘beds, operating room (O.R.)

lights, stretchers and wheelchairs,
and outdated or unused supplies
are sent to developing countries,
in association with the Rotary

Club and RACORSE, an associa-
tion of nurses dedicated to waste
reduction.

_ The hospital has implemented a
number of other eco-initiatives as
well:

@ Skincare products and sham-
poo bottles are refilled from large,

‘four-litre bulk containers by
mentally challenged people in the
Sheltered Workshop, which
charges the hospital three cents for
each bottle filled.

@ Prepared food that is left over
in the kitchen is picked up by the
Food Runners division of the

Greater Vancouver Food Bank
and transported to shelters across
the community.

@ Patient trays have reusable

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EATON'S - TOYS

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ECO INFO

cutlery, plates and containers, and
the cafeteria uses ceramic dishes
and cups.

@ Employees separate office
paper into computer grade, white
and colored ledger, which is
picked up and purchased by
Paperboard Industries. Usually 40
full boxes are collected each week.
@ A new program is targetting
hardcover books and medical
journals for recycling. Telephone
directories are also recycled.

@ Many departments have set up
their own recycling programs for
materials such as plastic con-

_tainers, pop cans and glass bottles.

Employees are kept up to date
on progress on the ‘‘green’’ front
through short presentations at
staff meetings and notes on

Su ak 3h

GET A

Fal

"+ Never offered before...

LGH's computerized E-mail
system,

The public as a whole, as well
as staff, get a chance to hear
about environmental programs in
the hospital during national En-
vironment Week in June, when
lobby displays describe in-house
recycling programs and com-
munity eco-resources.

The hospital's goal is to achieve
a 50% reduction in the amount of
garbage requiring disposal.

While costs of the programs
have been minimal to date, more
storage space and a baler are
needed if the recycling program is
to be expanded to include plastic
containers, so funding sources to
accomplish this are being resear-
ched,

Two heads are usually better
than one when it comes to prob-
lem solving, so the RACORSE
network should be invaluable in
helping health professionals across
the country plan and implement
eco-programs in their workplace.

Janet Dysart, a registered nurse
who works in Lions Gate’s O.R.,
has been heavily involved in both
the LGH environment committee
and the RACORSE network.

RACORSE is an information
source for health-care profes-
sionals interested in hearing and
sharing conversation tips and
learning about overseas service
opportunities.

It publishes a twice-yearly
newsletter for members.

For information on RACORSE,
call Dysart at 983-3092.

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