Mapping the Hospital Waste Management Process

There are many great opportunities to reduce the amount of healthcare materials that are wasted to landfill. Recycling, reprocessing, and reusables programs conserve valuable resources and prevent waste. Each waste reduction initiative requires a collection plan. Materials collection is not technically complicated, but it is complex and requires a thoughtful process design. People generally think of sorting waste as placing a new bin for collection. Placing a bin marks just the beginning of materials flow through the hospital and to collection partners. There are four basic steps to materials collection inside the hospital or clinic setting:

Each linked step directly impacts the success of the entire process. To develop a materials collection plan, map the collection process. For each step, define who, what, when and where:

• Who - the process owner

• What - describe the process step

• When - schedule or frequency

• Where - starting and ending location

With a clear process map, define the supplies and equipment, team members, labor, and quality plan for each step. Successful materials collection happens with good partnerships, clear communication, and quality at each step of the process. A clear understanding of how materials move through the building creates the right foundation for waste reduction designed for success at hospital-scale.