Paper recycling opportunities at Northern Health

This study explores the current practices of paper recycling at the largest of the Northern Health (NH) facilities. It is an exploratory study of paper recycling opportunities at five Northern Health facilities in terms of paper recycling services available in the community or the broader region. In a broader context, this study provides insight for similar organizations which operate geographically dispersed, rural operations deciding on a course of action for their own environmental initiatives. The paper reviews literature related to the environmental movement, waste management in healthcare, and recycling actions by public sector entities. It discusses government actions and legislation aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its own operations and the actions of its constituents. The study finds that recycling occurs at Northern Health sites but that the effort varies from site to site. Obstacles to recycling are cost, a lack of a corporate directive and a lack of consistency of service providers across the region. While the direct cost analysis of recycling compared to direct costs of landfilling provides mixed results at best, the Health Authority must consider other aspects including social and political impacts as well as future legislative requirements. --P. ii.