Products like the granular material shown here absorb carbon dioxide during anesthesia. Non-toxic alternatives can reduce hazardous waste and disposal costs for medical facilities.
Pollution prevention plans create opportunity
Every September, hundreds of Washington businesses are required to submit pollution prevention (P2) plans to Ecology. These plans detail the hazardous waste a business creates over the span of a calendar year and describe opportunities to eliminate or reduce it. When businesses find ways to generate less than 2,640 lbs yearly, they are no longer required to submit P2 plans. Sometimes it can take just one simple change, which is exactly what Kadlec Regional Medical Center discovered.
In medical care, soda lime products are used in general anesthesia to prevent toxic buildup of carbon dioxide as patients exhale through respiratory therapy equipment. Because soda limes contain sodium hydroxide, their byproducts are corrosive and considered hazardous waste. Creating this type of waste results in expensive management and disposal costs.
Alternative products that are safer
While reviewing Kadlec’s P2 plan, toxics reduction specialist Maryflor Garcia recognized a soda lime byproduct made up over 90% of the medical center’s hazardous waste. “Facilities are mostly focused on operations and compliance with the law,” said Garcia. “My job is to help find ways they can reduce or eliminate hazardous waste.”
Garcia found and recommended a non-toxic alternative that is effective, safer to handle, and can be disposed of in a normal landfill. “The reduction in hazardous waste benefits Kadlec financially,” said Garcia. “It’s also better for the environment and creates a safer environment for employees.”
The switch saves the center around $2,400 dollars annually in disposal costs alone, while reducing an average of 2,954 pounds of hazardous waste in the process. “There are safer alternatives out there, and we can help businesses research options,” said Garcia. “We’re here for you.”
Ecology’s pollution prevention services provide non-enforcement technical assistance to Washington businesses. Our engineers, chemists, toxicologists, and environmental specialists can help businesses reduce dangerous waste generation and toxic chemical use, conserve water and energy, and improve efficiency while reducing operational costs. Contact us to request assistance or learn more.