North York General Hospital Reduces Environmental Footprint and wins Green Health Care Award

Pollution Prevention (P2) Planning is not limited to industrial manufacturing facilities and can be extended to other sectors including the health care industry. North York General Hospital (NYGH) is the second hospital to have developed a comprehensive P2 Plan through the Toronto Region Sustainability Program (TRSP) to eliminate 9.5 tonnes/yr of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 33.3kg/yr of metals, 83 kg/yr of toxics, 12 tonnes/yr of hazardous waste and 4270.5 tonnes/yr of water consumption with annual savings of $64 K.

As a multi-site health care provider, and a community teaching ground, NYGH has demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability through a number of initiatives. For example, by replacing Nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) containing cleaning products with more environmentally friendly cleaners, NYGH has reduced its NPE effluents by 97%, and is now well below the Sewer Use By-law requirement. An installation of a solvent still unit now recycles used laboratory solvents such as xylene, formaldehyde, and waste alcohols, reducing NYGH’s hazardous waste generation by 75% and saving $20K in chemical purchases and disposal fees annually. In addition, NYGH’s Green Team has implemented a sharps container recycling program to eliminate use of disposable containers, which annually diverts nearly 5 tonnes of sharp containers from the biomedical waste stream -- one of the largest waste streams found in hospitals.

NYGH's commitment to pollution prevention marks it as a leader in the health care sector. In November 2007, NYGH was recognized for its environmental initiatives by receiving the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) & Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care's Green Health Care Award.

To learn more about NYGH's pollution prevention initiatives, view their pollution prevention case study online at: http://www.oceta.on.ca/TORSUS/studies.htm