Reduce

A good first step to making the Earth a better place is to reduce your impact. This means using only what you need. To reduce our impact on the environment, at Emory Healthcare we will use less water, less electricity and fewer resources, whenever possible. Ways Emory Healthcare Reduces:

Reduce our water use

• Many toilets, showers, and sinks in the Emory Crawford Long Hospital diagnostic and treatment center use low flow water devices.
   
  For example, select toilets in Emory Crawford Long Hospital have dual flush valves that flush up or down for water savings. These valves use 1.1 gallons per flush and 1.6 gallons per flush, respectively. This is a 46% increase in water savings compared to the previous valves, which used 3.5 gallons per flush.
   
• In drought conditions, all Emory Healthcare facilities turn off indoor and outdoor water features and irrigation sprinklers.
   
• At The Emory Clinic, most toilets and sinks now have automatic sensors. This translates to automatic flushing for the toilets and automatic on/off sensors for the sinks.
   
• At Emory University Hospital Northlake, we have purchased a new dishwasher machine and disposer that use water saving technology.
   
• The Winship Cancer Institute uses captured ground water for irrigation purposes.

Reduce energy use

• Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Emory University Hospital and the Winship Cancer Institute use a unique energy recovery system. Energy wheels use air exhausted from the facility to pre-heat outside air in the winter and to pre-cool outside air in the summer.
   
• All doorway exit lights in Emory Crawford Long Hospital and most exit lights in The Emory Clinic have been replaced with light-emitting diode (LED) lights. These long lasting LED lights do not require additional energy to heat the filament and save energy.
   
• On the inpatient units at Emory Crawford Long Hospital, patient care stations are equipped with task lighting which uses high powered LED lights.
   
• The Emory Clinic sections reduce energy use by exchanging incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs.
   
• At Emory Crawford Long Hospital and in new renovations at The Emory Clinic, motion detection devices have been installed in equipment rooms and bathrooms to save electricity when people aren’t present.
   
• The Emory Crawford Long Hospital diagnostic and treatment center has automatic speed controls for all air handlers. Also, The Emory Clinic uses variable speed dials on air handlers to reduce energy use.
   
• In most Emory Healthcare facilities, thermostat presets allow temperatures to be controlled and changed when not in use.
   
• To help reduce traffic and automobile carbon emissions, Emory Healthcare and Emory University offer employees a robust alternative transportation program. Options include vanpools, carpools, park & ride shuttle service.
   
• Heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation systems in our hospitals and Clinic are the most efficient designs available for a comfortable environment.

Reduce the impact of chemicals

• The Emory Healthcare purchasing team will use eco-friendly supplies and equipment whenever possible.
   
• The Emory Clinic has applied for Green SealŪ approval for cleaning processes and supplies.
   
• Emory Crawford Long Hospital and Emory University Hospital use the Ecolab ProGuard System, a comprehensive cleaning system with which environmental service technicians are provided with the procedures and tools to address daily hospital challenges.

Environmentally Friendly printing

• When producing materials, and when ever possible, Emory Healthcare uses companies whose printing and print processes are certified by the Sustainabile Forestry Initiative and the Forestry Stewardship Council.

Ways You Can Reduce:

Turn off the tap

• You can conserve up to five gallons of water per day if you turn off the tap when not in use. Daily water savings in the U.S. alone could add up to 1.5 billion gallons.

Buy items with less packaging

• Did you know that up to one out of every $11 you spend at the store pays for packaging?

Take shorter showers

• Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water. If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from their daily shower, over the course of the year it would equal twice the amount of freshwater withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day.

Limit your use of plastic bags

• Each year the U.S. uses 84 billion plastic bags, or 17 % of bags used worldwide. They are not biodegradable, and are making their way into our oceans, and subsequently, the food chain. Stronger, reusable bags are an inexpensive and readily available option.

For more information on how you can make a difference, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.