At the beginning of 2009, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano initiated several programs to help reduce our impact on the environment.
The first program was the BioSystem Waste Reduction Program which uses eco-friendly reusable sharps containers in all of the clinical areas. The containers are collected by an outside technician that sends them to a processing center where they are opened, emptied and disinfected for reuse. One reusable container prevents 600 disposable containers from going to a landfill.
From January 2009 through July 2009 Baylor Plano has prevented 15,376 pounds of plastic containers from going into landfills. The entire Baylor Healthcare System is utilizing this program and has saved 231,777 pounds in total during this same time frame.
The second program we have initiated is the facility-wide recycling program. Blue recycle bins were placed on all units in March 2009 and everyone has helped reduce our waste of paper, plastic, and metal by placing these materials in the bins. From March 2009 through July 2009, we have recycled 22.5 tons of material.
Not only are we helping our environment, but we also have received a benefit in cost savings. Based on the reduction in waste due to the recycling, we have saved approximately $1,500 in waste disposal fees. We also have benefited from the rebates for the recycled materials and through May 2009, we have collected $118. As a not-for-profit hospital, all savings go directly back into patient care allowing us to acquire new equipment and offer additional education programs to our clinical staff.