Tools and resources

Sustainable procurement digest

• Sustainable procurement
• Chemicals
• Food
• Energy
• Buildings
• Transportation
• Waste
• Water
• Toolkit

This digest provides resources for purchasing sustainable products. Use the resources to identify environmental considerations for products and services, where to obtain more information, and the rationale for purchasing sustainably. Please contact the procurement team with any questions.  Sustainable procurement directory This resource provides Practice Greenhealth members with guidance on…

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Sustainable resilient flooring choices for hospitals

• Furnishings
• Buildings

Hospital stakeholders are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability and its implications for their building practices. One way that hospitals can green their buildings is by using more sustainable materials in their facilities. There has recently been a great deal of interest in finding sustainable resilient flooring solutions.

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Environmental considerations for floor cleaning equipment

• EPP
• EPP Resource
• Sustainable procurement
• Healthy interiors
• Green Building
• Buildings
• Guide

Ask the following RFI/RFP questions in contracts for floor cleaning equipment to reduce exposure to building occupants and maintenance personnel to potentially hazardous chemicals, biological and particle contaminants, which adversely impact air quality, health, building finishes, building systems and the environment. These suggested questions reflect some of the sustainability requirements for…

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Webinar: Ecological designer's perspective on climate, health and landscaping

• Water
• Webinar
• Green Building
• Buildings

This webinar provides a review of the potential for environmental and human healing with landscape management with a case study from various ecosystem-based projects. Jacob Blue reviews some of the most recent research regarding the role nature plays in human health as well as explore opportunities for improving the ecological health and function of landscapes. Following that, we hear a case…

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Landscaping integrated pest management template contract

• Integrated pest management
• Guide
• Buildings
• Green Building
• Sustainable procurement
• Chemicals

Generic template for contracting integrated pest management for landscaping services at a health care facility. 

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Applicable contracts for LEED certification in health care

• Green Building
• Buildings
• Guide

This is a list of contract categories in the health care supply chain that may be relevant to facilities pursuing LEED for Healthcare certification.

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Environmental considerations for paint, sealants, and adhesives

• Sustainable procurement
• Buildings
• Green Building

The most important considerations for interior paints is occupant health and performance. It is critical to consider that paint has low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. There is no perfect test right now for emissions from wet-applied products, so the best bet is to make sure it has both low VOC content (under 50 g/L for flat paint), and has met California Section 01350 emissions…

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Environmental considerations for plumbing products

• Sustainable procurement
• Buildings
• Green Building
• Water
• Less Water

According to the Us Geological Society, about 410,000 million gallons per day of water was withdrawn for use in the United States during 2005. Health care facilities can be one of the largest users of water in a community and, by reducing water use, can achieve a return on investment. Use these questions in your RFI or RFP to identify environmentally preferable products.

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Environmental considerations for roofing

• Sustainable procurement
• Green Building
• Buildings
• Guide

According to Department of Energy, low-slope roofing—the kind most commonly used in commercial buildings—is one of the most environmentally damaging building materials. The following sample RFI/ RFP questions have been developed and listed in table format so they can be integrated easily into a pricing template or used in other formats. These questions address basic environmental and human…

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Hospital reduces emissions, reduces energy costs by $84,000

• Energy
• Leaner Energy
• Energy Case Study
• Case Study
• Buildings

A subject site is a 455-bed hospital in the Midwest with a large laundry operation servicing three ancillary long-term care sites in addition to the main hospital and physician buildings. The main hospital building was built in 1965. SITUATION The Engineering staff was challenged to help the site (and IDN) meet overall budget reduction goals in energy use cost reduction driven by National…

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