Health care facilities use enormous amounts of resources and are large generators of waste.

However, in Seattle, green hospital practices are quickly gaining momentum. With all the challenges health care faces, implementing environmental initiatives may seem burdensome. However, the reality is that practices that benefit the environment can also streamline operations, cut costs and contribute to a healthier place for patients and employees.

According to Hospitals for a Healthy Environment a, "healthy health care system (is) a system in which an environmentally aware and engaged health care community is dedicated to the health of patients, workers, their communities, and the global environment."

Read a full case study of a health care facility’s green initiatives.

Virginia Mason Medical Center and Children’s Hospital are two health care facilities that have recently begun food waste collection programs in order to reduce their municipal solid waste. Virginia Mason's café reduced the amount of waste produced at their establishment by 90% during the first week. Further, with kitchen staff sorting the waste and using a different dish-cleaning process, the kitchen reduced the cost of water used by $40/day. Children's Hospital kitchen expects to see at least a 60% drop in its waste by diverting organics to compost collection.