Starting a Health Care System Green Team

The health care industry is often overlooked as a major source of industrial pollution, but as this becomes more recognized, many health care facilities are beginning to pursue green efforts. The OR is a prime example of an area of health care that is working to lessen its environmental impact.

Nurses can play key roles in identifying areas of waste and presenting ideas about recovering secondary materials. For instance, although infection prevention measures encourage one-time use of some products, nurses can investigate how to reprocess these items so they can be reused.

This article examines how the efforts of a Green Team can affect a hospital's waste stream. A health care Green Team can facilitate a medical facility's quest for knowledge and awareness of its effect on the waste stream and environment. AORN J 90 (July 2009) 33–40. © AORN, Inc, 2009.