Pallet program for a hospital or health system
Hospitals receive supplies at a central dock, so pallets concentrate in one place, which makes a reuse pickup straightforward. Keep pallets out of regulated medical waste streams, return pooled pallets, and report pallet diversion in the facilities sustainability report with a clear method.
Where the pallets come from
Medical-surgical distributors, pharmacy, food service and facilities supplies.
Mixed; distributor pallets are often pooled. Health systems with several campuses can contract one reuse pickup across sites, which also makes system-wide reporting simpler.
Storage and handling
Away from clinical areas and ambulance routes; follow the facility's fire safety plan.
Program checklist
- Agree with environmental services that pallets never enter regulated waste streams.
- Return pooled pallets through the distributor or owner.
- Schedule reuse pickups from the central dock.
- Report pallets as part of the facility's diversion and scope 3 category 5 figures.
What to track
- Pallets diverted per month
- Pallets found in other waste streams (target: none)
Model it
The Pallet Fate Report opens with a starting mix for a hospital. Replace it with your own counts; the figures are an illustration, not a benchmark.