Ideas That Work: Make Recycling Easier for Staff

If you want your staff to make going green a part of their day-to-day mindset, the process must be as simple and as convenient as possible. Placing recycling containers within an arm’s reach of wherever they work is one way to ensure sustainability efforts are sustainable, according to Dawn Brue, RN, MSN, CNOR, nurse manager at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. The facility recently added environmentally friendly receptacles in all non-sterile core rooms, where it’s easy for staff to dispense of recyclable items — which range from ligatures to irrigation fluid containers. “To make sure staff segregate waste correctly, we also posted a list of all items that can be recycled above the bins,” says Ms. Brue. OSM