Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Services (CHQHHS) has empowered its workforce, young people, families and care partners to pursue innovative ways to minimise their environmental impact of our health care service. We have established an Environmental Stewardship Network, the ‘CHQ Green Team’, which has grown to over 200 active members who work together to meet the targets set out in the CHQHHS Environmental Sustainability Plan 2021-2024.
A collective approach across the hospital was imperative to realising our environmental sustainability agenda. Not only staff, but also our patients are involved, for example the designing containers to collect clean, clear, stretchy, soft plastics across the hospital.
This has established QCH as an international example for sustainable healthcare service delivery, both financially and environmentally.
One of the first amazing ideas of the team was to take nearly expired consumables to a central area where they are exchanged at the 'medical market'. This prevented consumables being discarded, which resulted in a saving of $183,000 during the first year and $112,000 in the second year.
The green team also has a monthly meeting where people are encouraged to bring their recycling ideas. This engagement where people celebrate each other's ideas is a very important part of the project.
