How Nurses and Hospital Staff Can Help HPRC Increase Healthcare Plastics Recycling

How Nurses and Hospital Staff Can Help HPRC Increase Healthcare Plastics Recycling

Many of the most passionate and dedicated supporters of hospital plastics recycling are nurses, doctors, and other front-line staff. We hear from you regularly about how upsetting it is to see so much waste generated every day, and how powerless you often feel to do anything about it. That’s why we decided to take a closer look at four ways you can make a difference in helping HPRC come closer to achieving our mission:

1. Use our tools, then send us your feedback.

The most important role that hospital staff have in tackling this complex issue is being on the front lines—actually implementing and managing the day-to-day of a recycling program. To make this work easier, HPRC has created a number of free, public tools.

Whether you are trying to start a program from scratch, improve existing processes, or take things to the next level, we’re here to help. (In particular, check out our HospiCycle toolkit, created specifically to support all the steps in starting a hospital plastics recycling program.) Your feedback is incredibly valuable, so if you use one of our tools and have suggestions, or if you can’t find what you need to solve your particular challenge, let us know!

2. Send us a case study.

We love to profile real hospitals, both to showcase the good work being done and to encourage and inspire. Even if your program isn’t “finished” or you are still facing challenges, consider sharing what you’ve learned to help others on the journey. (You can get in touch with us here.)

3. Sign up for our bi-annual email newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn.  

We will keep you updated on our progress and provide you with insights and materials to send to your own stakeholders as you work to create or improve a recycling program at your hospital. (To get on the list for our newsletter, just send us a note through our contact form indicating you want to be added.) No spam or shared contact info—we promise!

4. Consider asking your vendors to explore HPRC membership. or at least asking what they are doing to combat the problem. Then do the same with your waste vendors.

It can be a great starting point to at least broach the topic of recycling with your vendors, whether as part of formal contract negotiations, or just in more casual conversation. Ask about what they are doing to try to promote recycling, and ask if they are familiar with HPRC’s work and tools (which are for them too!)

We love hearing from you, so please keep your questions, feedback, and ideas coming!