October 1998

GREENING NEW HAMPSHIRE HOSPITALS
A DAY YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS!

Finally, a whole day devoted to waste reduction and pollution prevention strategies just for hospital professionals in New Hampshire. You won’t want to miss the "Greening" New Hampshire Hospitals Conference: Preventive Medicine for the Environment on December 9th at the New Hampshire Hospital Association conference center.

Greening Hospitals? Greening is more than just some trendy environmental buzzword, or a way to improve the landscaping around your campus. With stricter incinerator rules looming and hospital waste disposal fees ever on the rise, "greening" can be a way to save your hospital money.

This one-day environmental leadership conference presented by the Foundation for Healthy Communities and the NH Department of Environmental Services will focus on reducing hospital waste at its source, and provide tools your hospital can use to positively impact its bottom line. The program, conducted by hospital waste reduction professionals and regulatory experts, will give participants the opportunity to learn:
* Why they should be concerned about hospital waste and pollution prevention


* How they can reduce hospital waste and increase pollution prevention efforts


* What the financial, environmental and community relations rewards are for doing so


Representatives from the NH Department of Environmental Services will explain the state’s new aggressive Mercury Reduction Strategy and the current laws and regulations affecting medical facilities. Participants will also learn about the recent historic agreement between the U.S. EPA and the American Hospital Association to advance pollution prevention and waste reduction efforts in healthcare.

No matter what speed your hospital is moving at in the greening process, this program promises to have something for everybody. Topics will cover a variety of issues including conducting a waste audit, reducing red bag waste and developing recycling and other waste minimization programs. It will also address purchasing alternatives to toxic/wasteful products and present an overview of the latest medical waste treatment technologies. For a more detailed agenda, visit www.nhha.org . (Click on the Library button, then R3 Resources, "Up & Coming".)

Hospitals, public health, and the environment - A new social contract? That’s the title of the keynote address which will be delivered by Ted Schettler, M.D., co-chair of the Human Health and Environment Project of Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility. He is on the medical staff of Boston Medical Center and has a clinical practice at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. Dr. Schettler is co-author of "Generations at Risk" which examines the reproductive health effects of exposure to a variety of environmental toxicants.

Who should attend:

Senior Hospital Management Purchasing Environmental Services
Environmental Health & Safety Facilities Management Infection Control
Waste Minimization Coordinators Nursing staff Other Interested Parties

The cost is $25 per person, which includes lunch and handouts. Look for program and registration materials in the mail soon. For more information contact Debbie Augustine at (603) 225-0900 or daugustine@nhha.org. Plan to attend this exciting event and take advantage of the chance to network with your peers from hospitals across the state!

A "SHARP" IDEA AT FRISBIE MEMORIAL!
Last summer, more than 100 people, who out of medical necessity utilize syringes and lancets, helped make the New Hampshire seacoast community a more safe, environmentally-friendly place to live. They did this by turning in their used syringes and lancets or "sharps." at a workshop held at Frisbie Memorial Hospital (FMH). Sponsored by FMH, Sage Products and BFI Waste Management of North America, the free SHARPS (Store Household sharps and Return Properly) is the area’s only program that educates people on how to properly dispose of these items safely.

The SHARPS program was created in an effort to protect the community and to clean up the environment. Participants begin the program by bringing in their used syringes and/or lancets for disposal through BFI to a regularly scheduled workshop. There, they receive a free, home SHARPS container from Sage Products and learn about proper disposal of their syringes and/or lancets. The next scheduled workshop is October 20th. For more information, contact Cindy Cunningham, FMH Infection Control Coordinator at (603) 332-3100 ext. 8119.

AMERICA RECYCLES DAY: CELEBRATE AND WIN! On Sunday, November 15th, New Hampshire joins 48 other states in celebrating the second America Recycles Day. This year’s theme is If You’re Not Buying Recycled, You’re Not Really Recycling. Through this event, the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), in partnership with other recycling related organizations, is helping to raise consumer awareness of all aspects of recycling. They’re challenging everyone in New Hampshire to make a pledge to increase their recycling and purchases of recycled-content products. Each pledger will be eligible to win the American Green Dream House, made primarily from recycled-content materials, a $200,000 value. Pledgers under 18 will be eligible to win an all expense paid trip to Disneyland. New Hampshire state prizes will also be available.

Hospitals, Your Help is Needed! You can help by dispersing information to your community about America Recycles Day in New Hampshire (ARD-NH). You can do as little or as much as you want. From providing Internet access for pledging on-line or hanging posters, to working with your local recycling program to set up a recycling related display. For your free ARD-NH resource kit or more information about ARD-NH events, contact Barbara McMillan, NHDES at 603/271-3712 or visit the ARD-NH web page at www.state.nh.us/des/new/ardhome.htm.

WASTECAP PROGRAM EXPANDS ITS SCOPE After eight years of providing free, confidential waste reduction assistance to New Hampshire's businesses, WasteCap of NH is expanding its focus. Now called WasteCap Resource Conservation Network, the program will assist businesses in all aspects of resource conservation, including waste reduction, energy efficiency, pollution prevention, and water conservation. The new program will follow their successful business-to-business model, relying on volunteers from within the business community to provide assistance to their peers. The change in scope will require WasteCap to expand its volunteer base. If you have successfully implemented resource conservation measures at your facility and are interested in helping other New Hampshire businesses to do the same, call WasteCap at 224-1517. 

Up & Coming
October 21 - Recycling in New Hampshire: The Next Millennium! The Governor’s Recycling Program hosts it 6th annual conference with 8 exciting workshops at the Wayfarer Inn in Bedford , NH. This year they are asking attendees to bring their outdated computers and blue bottles for special recycling projects. For more info contact them at (603) 271-1098 or recycle@osp.state.nh.us.

November 15 - America Recycles Day

December 9 - Greening New Hampshire Hospitals Conference