Reducing Waste

Mandatory Print Procedures

    The Lower Mainland health authorities have a mandate to become carbon neutral by reducing paper, electricity, and vehicle use. If you work at PHSA, here are the mandatory procedures for reducing energy and material waste related to your print device.

    July 30, 2009
    PHSA Sustainability Best Practices Procedures for Print Devices

    Effective Immediately

  1. PrinterWorks quote form states that all printers for non-clinical spaces will be automatically set to duplex. If this is not appropriate for your department, it is your responsibility to inform PrinterWorks. Clinical spaces will be offered automatic duplexing as an option.
  2. For regular-hour offices, machines are automatically put to sleep between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. week days. On weekends and holidays, machines are also automatically put to sleep. Sleep delay is set to 15 minutes. (Your machine should take no more than 10 seconds to wake-up from sleep mode, and five seconds to print your first page).
  3. * What’s more, for regular-hour offices, each machine must also be physically turned off between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. week days by a designated staff member. (This should be the responsibility of the person who turns off lights and locks up. If nobody has that responsibility, it is every staff member’s responsibility). Machines must also be unplugged where practical.
  4. * On weekends and holidays, machines must also be physically turned off. They must also be unplugged where practical by a designated staff member. (Your machine should take less than five minutes to warm up.) Clinical spaces are offered this as an option.
  5. Each multi-function print device will service no less than eight staff members.
  6. Confidential printing will be done through the job storage feature rather than through personal printers. PrinterWorks will program this and provide training for your staff. You must arrange for this with PrinterWorks.
  7. * All copy or print jobs exceeding 100 pages per document, and printing multiple documents (for example, booklets, manuals, educational materials, brochures, etc.) must be sent to the Print Shop and not done on your local device.
  8. Printers must not be moved to new locations without advising IM/IT and PrinterWorks via IT Forms.
  9. All new toner cartridges and printer consumables such as drums, transfer kits, ink, etc. must be obtained from PrinterWorks. (PrinterWorks offers PHSA preferential pricing.)
  10. All used toner cartridges and consumables must be returned to an authorized PrinterWorks recycling station for pick-up and recycling, where applicable. Those who do not have a drop-off location, please contact PrinterWorks to advise when you have used toner &/or consumables for pick-up.
  11. At the end of its life, all print equipment will be returned for appropriate recycling to IMIT via IT forms “Computer Equipment and Software Hardware Relocation or Removal,” available on the POD.
  12. A copy of these policies must be posted at all print devices.
  13. * Denotes non PrinterWorks Functions

    Rationale

    These policies were put together in conjunction with HP by:
    PrinterWorks
    PHSA Alternate Service Delivery
    PHSA Sustainability Office
    IMIT

    Recycling Renewal Project

    As of November 2010, the Recycling Renewal program has been working to provide standardized containers, signage and education for basic recycling for all Health Authority owned acute care and residential care sites. This page provides information on the program and resources to help you better recycle!

    For details on when the program will come to your site, check out the Recycling Renewal Roll-out Schedule. Read Where Does Our Recycling Go? for details about where our recycling is processed and what items it ends up as.

    Although we do not have influence over recycling/waste removal at our leased sites, we do have some suggestions on how to get recycling up and running at a leased site. Please see our Recycling Procedure for Leased Sites document.

    For other commonly asked questions, have a look at our Recycling Q&A. Still have questions? Contact us at recycling@phsa.ca

    Waste Audit Reports

    Waste audits allow us to find out what’s in the garbage and recycling. This helps us to divert more materials from the landfill. We go through the garbage twice to look for differences before and after the program is implemented. Post program reports include results from both audits.

    UBC Hospital – Post Program
    Royal Columbian Hospital – Pre Program
    Richmond Hospital – Pre Program
    G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre – Post Program
    Lions Gate Hospital - Pre Program
    Burnaby Hospital - Pre Program
    Eagle Ridge Hospital - Pre Program

    Quarterly Reports

    The Recycling Renewal team produces summary reports on a quarterly basis that detail targeted, completed and planned activities. Audit, survey and waste/recycling volume indicators are also included.

    Recycling Renewal Report – Quarter 1, 2011/12 
    Recycling Renewal Report – Quarter 2, 2011/12 

    Recycling Resources

    Please note this information is relevant to those sites where the Recycling Renewal Program has been implemented only. These sites are St. Paul’s Hospital, Mount St. Joseph’s Hospital, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, UBC Hospital, Royal Columbian Hospital, Lions Gate Hospital and Richmond Hospital. The program has been structured slightly differently at PHC, please see appropriate references below.

    To find out what common hospital items can be recycled and what bins they should go in, see below:

    • If you work at a VCH, FHA or PHSA site, look here
    • If you work at a Providence Health Care site, check out this link.

    If you can’t find the item you are looking for, please contact us at recycling@phsa.ca

    Department Specific Posters

    Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Fraser Health Authority, Provincial Health Services Authority

    These posters can be downloaded and printed. As colour printer tones are different, two versions of each poster – one with black text and one with white – are provided.

    Bronchoscopy

    Bronchoscopy Recycling Poster- black
    Bronchoscopy Recycling Poster- white

    Emergency

    ER Recycling Poster – black
    ER Recycling Poster – white

    Lab

    Lab Recycling Poster – black
    Lab Recycling Poster – white

    Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

    NICU Recycling Poster – black
    NICU Recycling Poster – white

    Operating Room

    OR Recycling Poster – black
    OR Recycling Poster – white

    Patient Ward

    Patient Ward Recycling Poster- black
    Patient Ward Recycling Poster – white

    Respiratory Therapy

    Respiratory Recycling Poster – black
    Respiratory Recycling Poster – white


    Providence Health Care

    Bronchoscopy

    Bronchoscopy Recycling Poster

    Emergency

    ER Recycling Poster

    Lab

    Lab Recycling Poster – black

    Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

    NICU Recycling Poster – black

    Operating Room

    OR Recycling Poster – black

    Patient Ward

    Patient Ward Recycling Poster – black

    Respiratory Therapy

    Respiratory Recycling Poster – black




Last Updated: Thursday, February 02, 2012