The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is striving to become a zero-waste campus by 2025 (i.e., 90% diversion of non-hazardous waste away from landfills) through an economically sustainable waste diversion program. To make progress towards this ambitious goal within a three-year deadline, the medical center must rapidly ramp up its waste diversion and waste prevention practices. The institution has identified three key barriers it must overcome to achieve its zero-waste goal:
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- Staffing and training resource constraints
- Lack of accurate and real-time data
- Space limitations in its facilities
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This case study explores these barriers in greater detail and outlines the solutions identified by the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. As part of the solutions identified, the institution launched an advanced recycling pilot program with Freepoint Eco-Systems, as proof of concept for its full network of facilities. Two outpatient care locations were chosen for the pilot because they are segregated from the rest of the medical campus, allowing for an isolated pilot program. This will allow the organization to train and monitor staff recycling practices in small group settings and evaluate practices, before expanding the pilot to the main medical campus.
To date, several key success metrics have been identified:
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- As of FY 2022, the institution has diverted 37.4% of non-hazardous waste from landfill.
- Through the advanced recycling pilot project, approximately 550 pounds of healthcare plastics are collected weekly from the two ambulatory locations.
- As of FY 2022, the institution has diverted 5 tons of blue sterilization wrap from landfill.
- From August 2021 to January 2023, the institution diverted 23,558 pounds of healthcare plastics to Freepoint Eco-Systems for recycling.
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