How BIG is your Footprint? A 'Green' Dialysis Centre
Background: Australians leave behind the fourth largest ecological footprint in the world. Something NOT to be proud of. An ecological footprint is the amount of earths resources we use and the waste we leave behind during our daily lives. In 2001 people were using 1 1/5 earths to live. This means we are “spending nature’s capital faster than it is being regenerated.” (WWF Living Planet Report 2004).
Aim: At Baxter Payneham Dialysis Centre we not only care about our patients but also the world we all live in. Our aim was to explore the areas we could reduce or recycle: plastics, cardboard, paper, water, electricity, cans and bottles.
Results: Recycling plastics, cardboard, paper, cans and bottles not only reduces the stress on planet earth but also saved our centre $19 fortnightly as recycling bins are cheaper than normal waste bins.
We routinely performed energy audits to reduce our electricity demands. Considerable amounts of water has been saved by turning haemodialysis machines off when not required. One machine left on for only half an hour longer than required each day wasted a min of 18000lt of water a year.
Conclusion: We all take from a world which is already over stressed. With a little effort each dialysis unit can change practices and reduce the size of it’s ecological footprint.
Reference:
WWF Living Planet Report 2004 http://wwf.org.au/publications/living_planet_2004/
(Accessed 23rd March 2006)