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The healthcare industry is a cornerstone of our society, but its environmental impact, particularly from new construction and renovations, has historically not been fully addressed. As hospitals, clinics, and medical office buildings grow and evolve, they generate a significant amount of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. This waste poses unique challenges that can be mitigated by specialty healthcare equipment distributors. Yep, that’s right, healthcare equipment distributors.
In this post we will answer the questions:
- What are common types of healthcare facility construction waste?
- Are there environmental and regulatory consequences of healthcare construction waste?
- What are the top 4 strategies for sustainable healthcare facility construction?
- How medical equipment distributors answer the call to help reduce healthcare construction waste.
What are Common Types of Healthcare Facility Construction Waste?
While general C&D waste like concrete, wood, metal, and drywall are major contributors, healthcare projects also generate specific waste streams:
- Packaging from Medical Equipment: New hospitals and clinics require vast amounts of medical equipment, from imaging machines to lab instruments. The cardboard, plastic, and Styrofoam packaging from these deliveries can quickly accumulate.
- Demolition Debris: Renovating existing spaces generates significant debris, and because of the building's original purpose, this waste can sometimes include materials with hazardous components, such as lead-based paint or asbestos, which require specialized handling.
- Unused Materials: Over-ordering and design changes often result in a surplus of materials like lumber, pipes, flooring, and electrical wiring. In many cases, these materials are sent directly to landfills.
Are There Environmental and Regulatory Consequences of Healthcare Construction Waste?
Yes, the problem of C&D waste in healthcare extends beyond logistics. Improper disposal has serious environmental and regulatory consequences:
- Environmental Pollution: Landfilling construction debris consumes large amounts of space. While burning debris addresses the space problem, the incineration of certain materials can release toxic pollutants into the air and contaminated runoff can seep into soil and groundwater.
- Regulatory Scrutiny: The United States has a patchwork of state-specific regulations for medical and hazardous waste. The lack of a single, unified federal framework makes it challenging for organizations to scale waste management programs and ensure compliance across separate locations. That being said, non-compliance can lead to significant fines and reputational damage.
- Public Health Risks: Improperly managed construction waste can pose health risks to both construction workers and the public. For example, sharps or infectious materials accidentally mixed with C&D waste can lead to injuries and the transmission of blood-borne pathogens.
What are the top 4 strategies for sustainable healthcare facility construction?
Fortunately, there are strategies that can help healthcare organizations tackle these issues head-on. A successful approach often starts with a comprehensive waste management plan from a project's inception.
Sustainable Building Practices: Adopt lean construction principles to minimize waste through careful planning, just-in-time delivery, and prefabrication of components off-site. This can reduce on-site waste and improve efficiency.
Recycling and Reuse Programs: Implement a robust on-site waste segregation system to separate recyclable materials like metal, wood, cardboard, and concrete. Partner with specialized vendors to ensure these materials are properly recycled or repurposed. Deconstruction, a process of carefully disassembling a building to salvage materials, is a prime example of a reuse strategy that can significantly reduce waste.
Green Procurement and Vendor Partnerships: Work with distributors, like CME Corp., who share a commitment to sustainability. This includes purchasing products with minimal and recyclable packaging and working with suppliers who have take-back or recycling programs for their products.
Training and Accountability: Educate all project stakeholders - from architects and contractors to on-site workers - about the importance of proper waste management. Training on waste segregation and disposal protocols is essential for a successful program.
How Medical Equipment Distributors Answer the Call to Help Reduce Healthcare Construction Waste
CME has been working to decrease the amount of waste generated at a construction site for years. Not only is it important from a green perspective but decreasing waste at a construction site also helps the builders streamline activities at the site and realize on-time construction schedules.
Partner with CME Corp. to Help Reduce Healthcare Construction Waste
When CME delivers new equipment for a typical clinic construction project, they also process the significant amount of waste that comes with it. A project with 40 exam rooms can generate roughly 2,100 pounds of cardboard, 4,000 pounds of pallets, and 400 pounds of other packing materials.
Minimizing Waste with Direct-to-Site Delivery
CME's direct-to-site delivery services help significantly reduce construction site waste. Before the equipment even reaches the site, CME removes most of the packing materials at their warehouses. This practice allows about 95% of these materials to be recycled.
As CME's CEO Normand Chevrette puts it, "CME is dedicated to working toward a virtual cardboard-free delivery. It helps the environment as well as keeping the construction site clean and efficient." When CME trucks arrive at the site most of the equipment is already assembled and can be wheeled directly into the service locations, ready for use. Delicate equipment or equipment with multiple parts that need to stay together is kept in the original packaging, but this is a small percentage of the medical equipment delivered.
Manufacturer Collaboration
CME works with manufacturers to reduce and improve the packing materials used. We have facilitated the increased use of recyclable materials used to 95%, up from 80% five years ago. Manufacturing partners are also encouraged to ship products blanket-wrapped instead of boxed and palletized. While this may not be the cheapest shipping method, it is the most environmentally friendly.
For example, CME's collaboration with Pedigo, a medical equipment manufacturer, has resulted in products like procedure and linen carts shipping blanket wrapped. Intentional conversations about shipping materials can significantly reduce the amount of waste arriving on a construction site.
Decommissioned Equipment
Disposing of waste is not just about new equipment. Many healthcare projects involve renovating existing spaces, which means there's old equipment that needs to be removed. To best manage this type of construction waste, consider partnering with a company that can help you with your decommissioned equipment. These specialized firms assist you in donating, recycling, or refurbishing your old assets.
The healthcare industry is dedicated to healing and well-being. By extending this mission to include the health of our planet, healthcare organizations can become leaders in sustainability. Prioritizing effective construction waste management is not only a moral imperative but also a smart business decision that can lead to cost savings, positive brand reputation, and a healthier future for all.
Click CHAT to begin the conversation about how you can be part of the answer to reducing healthcare facility construction waste
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers. With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.
