Picture a row of electric vehicle charging stations at the Princeton Medical Center (PMC) campus in Plainsboro, N.J.
Or buildings across Penn Medicine Princeton Health being retrofitted with energy efficient LED lighting and filtered water stations to help slash the use of plastic bottles. Operating rooms that recycle sterilization wrap — better known as “blue wrap” — to eliminate even more plastic waste.
Those are but a few of the initiatives that Princeton Health is exploring under the leadership of director of sustainability Greg Evans.
PMC, which opened in 2012, was designed to be environmentally friendly, notably through development of a cogeneration plant and solar panels to meet the hospital campus’ energy needs. Princeton Health also has worked systemwide to reduce waste, increase recycling, and use safer cleaning chemicals. Last summer, Evans was commissioned to analyze sustainability initiatives undertaken between 2012 and 2019 and make recommendations for a comprehensive strategy through the year 2030. In his new role, Evans will guide efforts to implement that strategy.
The initial focus will be decreasing energy usage. Other areas of interest include:
- Procurement. Princeton Health and Penn Medicine’s group purchasing organization will develop a supply chain dashboard to evaluate every product and vendor against sustainability attributes. This will help guide individual purchasing decisions and develop a larger procurement strategy that aligns with Princeton Health’s sustainability goals.
- Water usage. Water supply will become a concern over time due to climate change. Princeton Health will track water consumption systemwide and look for ways to conserve. Key areas to be studied include the central sterile department, the hospital’s cogeneration plant, kitchens, and outdoor uses such as landscaping and fountains.
- Sustainable foods. Princeton Health and its food and nutrition provider, Morrison Healthcare, will create a dashboard or scorecard to evaluate purchases of food and related items and develop a strategy to increase the proportion of food produced through sustainable methods and suppliers.
“There is already energy and enthusiasm to create an even more sustainable organization at Princeton Health,” Evans said, “and I am excited to help develop and drive the strategy moving forward.”