ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS
Celebrating Environmental Stewardship in New Jersey
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Hackensack Meridian Health
Team member participation encompasses all aspects of Sustainability , including ; Green Team engagement across Hackensack Meridian Health , consisting of executive champions from each hospital ; sustainability in system-wide committees such as the Human Experience Committee ; operating room recycling initiatives ; sustainable food programs ; energy conservation ; waste and chemical reduction ; responsible purchasing ; and energy and climate initiatives , which includes sitting on the steering committee for the Department of Energy Better Buildings Challenge for Healthcare . In addition , we expanded our community partnerships with Hackensack Riverkeeper and Clean Ocean Action , as well as New Jersey Natural Gas to reduce energy consumption .
Sustainability is a strategic priority approved by our CEO , supported by board members , team members , and medical students , embedded in our annual report and internal communications . It is viewed as an extension of our commitment to caring for our patients , team members and the communities we serve .
Holy Name Medical Center
Throughout the peak of the 2020 COVID‐19 surge — when Holy Name Medical Center was the epicenter of NJ ’ s cases — our environmental , facilities , and nursing teams collaborated to devise innovations that safeguarded patients and staff ; constructed several green-friendly , sustainable 76-bed ICUs within two weeks ; and saved precious PPE so that we never had a shortfall .
The new ICUs were built out of a shell space and auditorium with sustainable , energy-reducing materials ; they are isolated from non-COVID patient care areas . Using an ingenious design suggested by an ICU nurse with military experience , all IVs , ventilators , and monitors are placed outside the rooms with lines fed through port openings in the walls . This reduces the number of times fully gowned / masked nurses and respiratory therapists must go in and out , yet enables them to provide gold-standard care , reduce risk of cross-contamination , and conserve PPE . Automated LED fixtures , solar window shades , and touchless doors that open with a wave reduce the amount of disinfectants needed . All waste is treated as regulated medical waste .
Facilities staff and volunteers also constructed 250 patent-pending negative-pressure “ isopods ” to surround patients with high-flow oxygen . HEPA filters installed on the roof draw air from patient rooms to expel it safely outside . A bipolar ionization system , which kills COVID on contact , is used throughout all Holy Name facilities .
Peak Environmental
As an environmental company , it is consistent with our mission to be present at community events that promote sustainability and environmental protection . We have our own in-house
Green Team that advocates for sustainable initiatives and education . We conduct companywide sustainability surveys and quarterly waste audits to assess means of improvement . Our sustainable office practices include recycled paper ; corn-based plastic cups ; compostable and recycled paper cups ; 100 percent recycled napkins ; recycling cans ; recycling plastic K-cups ; sensor lights ; waterline water dispenser ; rechargeable batteries ; and a solar-powered storage container . We are proud of our compost initiative and have composted 234 gallons of waste in the past two years . We have also recently added a book exchange library . Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic , we have implemented a work-fromhome policy for the safety of our employees . Our work-from-home policy has offset approximately 261,634.32 pounds of carbon thus far .
Riker Danzig
Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP ’ s Environmental Law Group has helped to found and grow the NJ Composting Council ( NJCC ). The NJCC is an industry group supporting organics recycling in New Jersey ; its membership includes many different businesses engaged in organics recycling , from large-scale anaerobic digesters to community composters . Riker Danzig represented the NJCC with respect to its formation , is a member and sponsor of the NJCC , and has hosted several NJCC events at our offices . We also have helped to create a working group of stakeholders that advocate for improved laws
Continued On Page 16
Emphasis on recycling for hospitals is reducing waste . Compostable products above show corn-based plastic cups and plates .
Getty Images / iStockphoto
Getty Images / iStockphoto
14 COMMERCE www . commercemagnj . com