A Recycling Mission: Health Care Must Become Healthier

Hospitals are going green! It’s now standard for hospitals to recycle everything from paper products and beverage bottles to less common items like blue wrap, saline containers, electronics and batteries. As the largest contingent of the health care workforce, nurses must learn to recycle, according to eco-friendly health advocates. They handle at least 95 percent of supplies that enter and exit a medical facility. So it’s essential to know how to properly dispose of these products, said Bettie Kettell, RN, a surgical nurse at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, Maine and chair of the Environmental Impact Committee. Not only is recycling essential to hospitals, but it is also important to the health of patients, nurses, doctors, and all hospital staff.

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