Yale surgeons make sustainability and wellness a focus in their workplace

Yale surgeons have a positive impact on individual lives every day, but now they are working towards a positive impact on the environment, too. In July 2017, a group of physicians and staff members from the Yale Department of Surgery, led by Dr. Glenda Callender and Dr. Hulda Einarsdottir decided to evaluate the sustainability of their department….

…The group has also identified a much more challenging recycling project – sustainable waste management in the operating rooms. Operating rooms produce about 30% of a hospital’s waste, and although biologically contaminated waste must be placed in special bins, it is estimated that as much as 90% of waste in the operating room is not considered biohazard waste. This leaves an opportunity for improved recycling and waste management practices, especially regarding the packaging and plastic waste that is produced.

At Yale, tackling this uniquely challenging issue involves collaboration between Yale University and the Yale-New Haven Hospital. The multidisciplinary Perioperative Sustainability Team, headed by Dr. Jodi Sherman, consists of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and technicians. This group is working actively to reinvigorate recycling efforts in the hospital’s clinical spaces as part of a larger initiative to reduce clinical waste.”