Environmentally Preferable Practices for Electronics: Procurement to EndofLife

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Environmentally Preferable Practices for
Electronics Procurement to End-of-Life

Oregon Hospitals Pollution Prevention
Roundtable September 13, 2005 Neha Patel
neha_at_oregon-health.org 503-233-1510 Oregon
Center for Environmental Health
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Electronics in Healthcare

• Healthcare depends on electronic products greatly
  for products as diverse as
• IT, medical diagnostic electronic equipment (EKG
  monitors), consumer electronic products (TVs,
  cell phones, etc) and more
• Short life span of products

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Materials of Concern in Manufacturing of
Electronics Products

• Some examples
• chlorinated plastics in cable wiring
• brominated flame retardants in circuit boards
• heavy metals (lead and cadmium) in CRTs
• mercury in Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or flat
  panel monitors.
• In Silicon Valley, the birthplace of high tech,
• 24 of the 29 sites
• listed on the National Priorities List (Superfund
  Sites) for clean up of contaminated soil and
  water were caused by high-tech companies.
• More information http//www.svtc.org/cleancc/focu
  s.htm

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Why Healthcare should Care?

• Hippocratic oath First Do No Harm
• Proactively protect public health
• Leadership in community
• Concern with environmental compliance (e-waste is
  hazardous waste)
• Concern with privacy protection (HIPAA)
• Huge dependence on electronics in medical
  diagnostics and IT
• Largely centralized procurement
• Large turn-over of equipment to buy, store,
  dispose
• Effective asset disposition can save money and
  resources

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Purchasing and discarding electronic equipment in
Healthcare

• When purchasing electronics, applying a total
  cost of ownership approach that incorporates
  end-of-life disposal costs in the product and
  services costs.
• TOTAL COST
• PURCHASE PRICE COST OF STORING, TRANSPORTING
  AND DISPOSING AS HAZARDOUS WASTE RISK/LIABILITY
  ASSESSMENT
• Do your homework before contract negotiation
• Negotiating contracts that require products and
  practices to meet specific environmental
  criteria.
• Establishing manufacturer take-back requirements
  for electronic equipment at the end of life.
• Extending the life of electronic equipment
  through upgrades and reuse.
• Recycling old electronics with a vendor who
  has signed the Electronic Recycler's Pledge of
  True Stewardship.
• http//www.ban.org/pledge1.html

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Environmentally Preferable Procurementof IT
Equipment Basic Principleshttp//www.noharm.org/
details.cfm?ID878typedocument

• End-of-Life Management
• Upgradeability
• Design for the Environment and Public Health
• Manufacturing
• Energy Efficiency

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Involve Stakeholders to GREEN IT Purchases

• Purchasing/Material Management Staff
• IT managers/ Chief Information Officer
• Risk managers/ HIPPA specialist
• Haz. Waste, solid waste managers, or recycling
  coordinators
• Environmental Health and Safety officers
• Healthcare Professionals concerned with
  environmental protection

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Group Purchasing Organizations

• Many major GPOs are beginning to incorporate take
  back language into contracts for ewaste.
• Ask your representative what initiatives your GPO
  is working on with EPP and electronics.
• Premier, Inc. launched a comprehensive Web-based
  resource to assist healthcare organizations in
  the environmentally friendly selection, recycling
  and disposal of computers and electronics.
• http//www.premierinc.com/all/safety/resources/com
  puters/

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Disposal End of Life Management
Reduce Reuse Recycle No Landfills No
Incineration
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Choosing An Electronics Recycler

• Asking the right questions from your recycler
• Have they signed the Electronic Recyclers Pledge
  of True Stewardship¹?
• What do they do to recycle? Reuse? Do they
  provide proof/ documentation?
• Can they help with logistics of
  transportation/storage?
• Do they offer data destruction? Methods?
  Proof/Documentation?
• Labor source?
• Regulatory compliance?
• Sound, ethical business practices?
• Involve local businesses, non-profits
• Set criteria that meet your goals.
• ¹For more information http//www.ban.org/pledge1.
  html

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Environmentally Preferable Procurement Guidelines
for Information Technology (IT) Equipment in
Health Carehttp//www.noharm.org/electronics/reso
urces

•  Guidelines for addressing the environmental and
  public health threats of electronic products
  through purchasing preferences and manufacturers'
  design. Prepared by Computer TakeBack Campaign
  and Health Care Without Harm
•            Part I The Issue      
                Part II Procurement Matrix for
  Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and
  Vendors          Part III Post Contract
  Reporting Requirements for Continual
  Improvement           Part IV Recommendations
  for the Bid Development Process           Part
  V Sample Procurement Evaluation Tool with Excel
  spreadsheet
• Health Care Without Harm
• http//www.noharm.org/electronics/issue
• Computer Take-Back Campaign
• www.computertakeback.com