POTSDAM -- St. Lawrence Health System’s Canton-Potsdam Hospital (CPH) has been making major strides in increasing its sustainability initiatives, said a press release from the hospital.

The links between environmental health and individual health have been well-established, and the Hospital is working to incorporate environmental sustainability into its purchasing, decision-making, construction, and daily operations.

“Nationally, hospitals are among the largest energy consumers and waste makers. It’s estimated that about eight percent of all U.S. greenhouse gasses are generated by hospitals,” noted CPH Director of Wellness and Sustainability Laura Cordts. “Within the last few years, hospitals across the Country have begun taking a closer look at this ‘sustainability disconnect,’ and have committed to minimizing our impact.”

The operating room is among the areas where modifications are being made at CPH. The instrument sterilization process is currently being overhauled. The long-standing practice was to sterilize the instruments, then technicians would wrap each tray in a sterilized sheet until needed. The sheet would be thrown away after the tray was used, which created a large amount of waste. The use of the One Tray® Sealed Sterilization Container began on January 1, 2019, and by the end of February, CPH will be using over 150 of the new trays, drastically reducing the number of wrapped trays, which may still be needed in some instances.

“We are now able to sterilize the instruments and store them without the blue wrap,” stated Director of Surgical Services Jeffrey W. Eckdahl, RN, BSN, MBA. “The One Tray allows us to sterilize quicker with a 75 percent water consumption reduction, and eliminates 95 percent of the throw away waste for sterilization. CPH is the largest user of the One Tray container system in New York State.

“There is a huge amount of recyclable materials used in the O.R. We were not living up to our potential to maximize the recycling program. We are now working to identify all our disposable materials in the O.R. that we can recycle, and educate the staff on how to separate them out,” he added. “All of these initiatives are staff-driven. They are on the frontline generating ideas for sustainability.”

Other steps CPH has taken to increase sustainability include initiating a zero-sort recycling program in 2016, which has increased the Hospital’s overall rate of recycling by nearly 50 percent; offering an annual Office Supply Exchange Day among departments; switching to safer hospital-grade hand soaps; reducing energy consumption via LED lights; and incorporating energy efficiency with all new construction projects. The hospital campus now has electric vehicle charging stations, and staff members take part in local roadside cleanups, and the world-wide Eco Challenge.

“Of course, patient health, safety, and privacy remain paramount,” Cordts stated. “But within the constraints of our health-care setting, we will also continue to focus on how we can do right by the environment.”