Sharing Best Practices in Green Health Care at CleanMed 2012

Apr 30, 2012 2:00 PM ET

Each year health care facilities in the U.S. dispose of 4 billion pounds of waste, and on average, use 2.5 times more energy than similarly sized commercial buildings.

This enormous footprint has an impact on the environment as well as hospital's bottom lines, and decision makers are starting to pay attention.  This week leaders in health care sustainability will come together at the CleanMed conference in Denver, Colorado to discuss the future of green heath care and look for ways to reduce waste and curb carbon emissions.

As part of its long standing commitment to communities and the environment, Johnson & Johnson is stepping in as the first international sponsor of the CleanMed conference. The Company will also hold panel discussions, sharing its successes in reducing energy use and carbon emissions and developing expertise in lifecycle analysis.

Each year the Company invests $40 million in renewable energy capital, which reduces 160,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. The Company also has the U.S.'s largest corporate hybrid fleet with over 1,000 vehicles in service. Johnson & Johnson's Global Energy Director Jed Richardson will share insights into these successes and others during the Improving Energy Efficiency Panel.

The Company's Senior Director, World Wide Health and Safety, Al Ianuzzi and Kimberly Clark's David Spitzley will also introduce attendees to the concept of life cycle analysis during the Greener Product Innovation & Solutions for Healthcare Facilities Session.  Johnson & Johnson's proprietary process for developing and marketing greener products, Earthwards® and Kimberly Clark's, EcoLogical, will be featured as case studies to highlight the ways lifecycle analysis can be used to create greener products by taking a more holistic view of the environmental impact of a product.   

To learn more about Johnson & Johnson's commitment to sustainable heath care, visit www.jnj.com/responsibility.  You can also follow the discussion from CleanMed on Twitter by following @JNJstories and #CleanMed.