CGH Environmental Strategies, Inc.
Web Links and Resources
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INDEX
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Health Care Waste
Management
H2E-Online
< The H2E program is a partnership
with the American Hospital /Assn. and the
US EPA and other stakeholders.
India: Medical Waste Management
The Sustainable Hospitals Project, University of Massachusetts at Lowell
Alternative practices and approaches, plus the occupational health aspects of environmental issues.
An article on reusable products, reprinted by permission of OR Manager.
A commercial website with key information on safety, policies, and equipment needed for safe waste management and operations.
US EPA Virtual Hospital Tour - Focus on mercury reduction.
Pollution Prevention for Selected Hospital Waste Streams (US EPA)
Information on conducting audits and dealing with chemical and radioactive wastes.
Ordering Info: Guides to Pollution Prevention: Selected Hospital Waste Streams
EPA Order No.: EPA625790009
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242-2419
Ph. 800.490.9198
Fax 513.489.8695
Source Name: NSCEP
A listing of web resources for pollution prevention and health care information.
Janitorial Pollution Prevention Project
Hosted by the Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network, these projects have developed fact sheets, product sample kits, purchasing specifications, and other outreach materials to advise users on the health, safety, and environmental consequences of their janitorial products. The research was conducted in direct consultation with personnel responsible for cleaning and other janitorial services.
The Environmentally Responsible Dental Office: A Guide to Proper Waste Management in Dental Offices (download the full report online)
This guide offers information that makes it simple for dentists and office staff to safely dispose of waste containing materials such as mercury that could pollute area waterways. This guide won the American Dental Association's (ADA) coveted Golden Apple Award and also received the Vermont Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence and served as a model for guides in other states including New York and Connecticut.
Molly Chidsey, Pollution Prevention Coordinator
Great Lakes Natural Resource Center, National Wildlife Federation
506 East Liberty Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
734.769.3351 x15
chidsey@nwf.org
USEPA Medical Waste Management
An overview of USEPA regulations governing incinerators and other waste treatment technologies; a link to RCRA regulations, essential to proper management of hazardous materials in health care settings; a link to relevant state laws and regulations and to other agencies (e.g., OSHA, DOT) that also have regulations related to medical waste management.
A Canadian P2 site that has a number of links for health care and general industry P2. Links to a number of U.S. sites for manuals and guides on general P2 that can be translated for use by health care institutions, as well as Canadian documents on P2 specifically applied to health care.
Non-incineration Medical Waste Treatment Technologies
A comprehensive look at the range of technologies available to treat biohazardous wastes from health care.
Mercury in Medical Facilities (US EPA)
List of mercury products used in healthcare, MASCO
Mercury Pollution Prevention in Health Care
A guide for hospitals by the National Wildlife Foundation
List of mercury spill cleanup materials and mercury management tools
An online resource for MSDS resources.
Universal Wastes - Official EPA Site
Environmental Management Guide for Small Laboratories, US EPA (May 2000)
Environmentally-Preferable Purchasing
The Sustainable Hospitals Project, University of Massachusetts at Lowell
Provides regularly updated information on alternatives to these and other products including direct links to manufacturers.
Environmentally-Preferable Purchasing for Health Care
A 'how-to' guide for environmentally-preferable purchasing.
Health Care Environmental Purchasing Tool
A project of the University of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Protection Fund, this tool provides a means to factor environmental concerns into health care supply purchasing decisions. It can be used by individual facilities, Group Purchasing Organizations or manufacturers. A series of case studies from the early use of the tool are provided to illustrate its benefits.
Other Key Organizations: Domestic/U.S.
An organization devoted to environmentally responsible health care. Web site includes information on alternative products and technologies, along with other tools for environmental impact reduction.
The Nightingale Institute for Health & the Environment
The Nightingale Institute for Health and the Environment is our sister organization. It assists healthcare professionals to recognize the inextricable link between human and environmental health and their role in creating the change in practice needed to improve the health of humans and the environment.
Center for Environmental Communication
Excellent resource for communicating risk, working in communities, developing outreach materials that are meaningful for establishing communications with different constituencies on environmental issues.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Pollution Prevention
Good example of a web page on Hospital P2 put up by a state agency.
The CDC published extensive information on infection control, worker safety, and issues associated with waste management. They also have online courses and publications.
International POPs Elimination Network
A global network of non-governmental public interest groups supporting the elimination of persistent organic pollutants.
Consortium for Environmental Education in Medicine
This group is developing an environmental curriculum for use in medical education.
A video company specializing in movies with a health-related focus. It offers award-winning films on death and dying, ethics, and environmental issues.
Visit this site to follow new developments in the scientific exploration begun with Our Stolen Future, an exploration that poses important challenges to the way government and industry manage chemicals in the environment. Follow the emerging science and debates about new advances in toxicology that challenge basic assumptions about which chemicals are safe and what exposures are tolerable.
PharmEcology Associates, LLC is the first and only source of information specifically tailored to the healthcare industry to interpret and apply complex EPA hazardous waste regulations to discarded pharmaceuticals and other healthcare products. PharmEcology Associates, LLC will help you establish a disciplined approach to your pharmaceutical waste management practices.
Other Key Organizations: International
World Health Organization (WHO) Wastes from Healthcare Activities Fact Sheet 253 (October 2000)
Good summary of WHO activities and perspectives on health care wastes, and link to other WHO print resources (some online) and a database of case studies in health care waste management from different countries.
NGO working on waste issues in the Caribbean.
India: Medical Waste Management
Srishti, a New Delhi based NGO which has taken a leadership role in medical waste management, has put all its work on medical waste at this site
Offers a reliable and cost-effective program approach for the recovery of unused supplies for re-packaging and donation to medical programs overseas. The model program at Yale has recovered more than 22 tons of supplies since its inception in 1991. This program is being employed by more than 300 hospitals in the U.S.
REMEDY
P.O. Box 3298
New Haven, CT 06515
remedy@yale.edu