SAN DIEGO–Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH) is continuing its commitment to the environment and is pleased to announce a significant reduction in its carbon footprint and emissions with a new reusable container program.
PPH has begun implementation of a new proactive service utilizing reusable containers. This service will significantly decrease the amount of cardboard and plastic going into landfills each year and will reduce the amount of hazardous pharmaceutical waste. As of this month, PPH launched the Sharps Management Service using Bio Systems reusable containers by Stericycle. Through this program, PPH will save an average of $40,000 annually and will keep an average of 600 disposable sharps containers from going to the landfill for each reusable container used with this system.
“PPH recognizes that hospitals are known to generate a considerable amount of waste and is constantly looking for opportunities to reduce waste and make the connection between human health and the environment,” said Barbara Hamilton, PPH Sustainability Manager. “In an effort to promote health in the communities we serve, it is our responsibility to protect the environment we live in. And these reusable sharps containers are helping us to move one step closer to that goal by reducing our carbon footprint.”
Within one year of using the system, PPH will have prevented 38,223 pounds of CO2 emissions from going into environment and kept 64,419 pounds of plastic and 4,976 pounds of cardboard out of the landfill. This carbon diversion is the equivalent to not burning 1,968 gallons of gasoline.
Since 1986, U.S. hospitals using the Stericycle Sharps Management System Bio Systems reusable containers have kept more than 105 million disposable containers out of landfills.
