Eight hospitals in the Philadelphia area saved $600,000 over two years by increasing recycling and "going green" as part of a pilot program conducted by the Health Care Improvement Foundation, according to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The pilot program was facilitated to promote improved environmental practices at hospitals. Twenty hospitals participated, but only eight answered surveys about the results of their trials.
According to the report, hospitals increased overall recycling of waste to 34 percent, up from 13 percent in 2007, when the study began. Medical waste decreased from 3.2 million pounds per year to 2 million in the same period.
A list of best practices from the hospitals is available on the Health Care Improvement Foundation's Web site.
Read the Inquirer's report about the Philadelphia hospitals' green initiative.