Recycling program reduces hospital's disposal costs - Newcomb Medical Center, Vineland, NJ

Healthcare Financial Management, Jan, 1991 by Deborah A. Teschke

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Prompted by a state law requiring businesses to implement recycling programs, a New Jersey hospital has developed a program that may save the facility several thousand dollars a year in waste disposal costs.

Last September, Newcomb Medical Center, a 235-bed acute-care community hospital in Vineland, N.J., began to recycle cardboard, its largest volume of recycleable material, said Dave DeWoody, Newcomb's director of materials management and chairman of the hospital's recycling committee.

Approximately 1,500 pounds of cardboard is collected and recycled each week by the hospital's dietary, environmental, and materials management departments, he said. Employees flatten and store the cardboard until it is picked up by a recycling firm.

While state law was one reason behind the program, escalating landfill costs also convinced hospital management to look to recycling.

"We wanted to reduce the number of hauls made to the landfill,DeWoody said. "The [hauling] rate is $62 per ton and we currently save $150 per week. We have the potential to save $180 per week if we meet our recycling goals."

County landfill officials were invited to meetings to hear about Newcomb's plans and determine how the hospital and county could work together in their recycling efforts, he said.

Other programs

The cardboard is not Newcomb's first attempt at recycling. For several years, the hospital has recycled computer paper, batteries, X-ray film, and silver from processing film, as most hospitals do, DeWoody said.

Recycling aluminum cans is being investigated, but several operational problems must be worked out, he said.

"One problem is the cans don't come back on the dietary trays, they are thrown in the trash," DeWoody said. "Also, how many trash cans can be put in patients rooms, and is separating aluminum cans an efficient and effective use of nursing hours? And there is the problem of residual left in cans and pest control."

To help simplify recycling of cans, cardboard, and other items, the hospital is considering the cost-effectiveness of purchasing a baler to crush the materials.

"The cans we get from dietary are recycleable," he said. "However, vendors who will buy them, want them in a baled unit. Balers to suit our purposes cost from $8,000 to $10,000, but it would make our recycleables more marketable."

Reuseable versus disposable

The hospital is investigating the use of reuseable utensils and dinnerware in its dietary department. The department's director has been analyzing the cost of plastic ware versus reuseable silverware, as well as the life expectancy of reuseable utensils, DeWoody said.

"Disposables cannot be entirely eliminated because of visitors, but reducing their use by 85 percent would save the hospital $23,000 annually between product cost and reduced landfill costs," DeWoody explained.

Switching to reuseable diapers also is being discussed, but with some reservations.

"We have to look at the hidden costs," DeWoody said. "If we return to [cloth diapers] we would have to compare the disposable [diaper] and landfill costs versus the costs of handling, consuming more water, and using more electricity. Also, you have to use special chemicals for diapers, and there is the issue of dumping water with chemicals [into the environment]."

He said some hospitals started using cloth diapers but stopped because mothers were demanding they use disposable diapers. Other issues in the cloth versus disposable diaper debate include the amount of labor expended by nurses changing diapers and the infection control if pins are used, he added.

While most of the recycling programs are used only in nonmedical departments, computer paper recycling is done throughout the hospital. For inhouse use only, computer paper is recycled for its reverse side and only reports of a nonconfidential nature are used, DeWoody said. After the paper is used twice, it is sent to an outside recycling company.

Deborah A. Teschke is news editor of Suggestions for "Provider Perspective" topics should be sent to her at HFMA, Two Westbrook Corporate Center, Suite 700, Westchester, IL 60154.