Waste Reduction Program

The Power of Urgent Care Minimizing its Environmental Impact 

JOIN OUR WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAM

Many challenges lie ahead in the fight to reduce waste in the Urgent Care environment. It is our ambition to make Urgent Care a leader in waste reduction practices. By working together, we will maximize our chance for success.

Join our Waste Reduction Program and start reducing waste by moving to a single red bag location.

Our program is designed to run for 12 months with quarterly reporting of your waste cost to show the reduction. All participating organizations will be recognized in a white paper publishing the results of the program. Start any time in 2025. All subsequent quarterly reporting must be completed by December of 2026.

NOT READY TO JOIN THE FULL PROGRAM? MAKE A COMMITMENT

Even small steps make a big difference. If you’re not ready to join the full program, you can still show your support by signing our Waste Reduction Commitment. It takes less than a minute—and it signals your dedication to creating a cleaner, more sustainable Urgent Care environment.

✅ No reporting required
✅ Just your name and your commitment to reduce waste

Make the Commitment ➜

And join others like…

AFC Wichita
Mercy Urgent Care
Premier Health Urgent Care
We made a company-wide change in our Biohazard policy in 2016 by implementing the processes of ongoing in-depth waste training, guidance posters in clinics and removing the red cans from the exam rooms to prevent patients and staff from disposing of regular trash in those cans. We were anticipating a $50,000 savings but after a year (per finance reports) it ended up being closer to a $80,000 savings. Weight reports did indicate a 50% decrease in Regulated Waste that was generated in our clinics. We have followed this practice for many years now and our weight generated reports have been consistent. Very seldom do we have any overage charges for excessive weight or for additional boxes generated. Most clinics generate only 1 -2 boxes per month.
Lisa Bishop Vice President, Training and Clinical Development

PROGRAM STEPS

1

Complete the commitment

Use the "Commitment to Reducing Waste" form. (scroll down for form)

2

Report the cost of your waste

Use the "Report Waste Cost" form. (scroll down for form)
Congratulations, you are now part of the waste reduction program!

3

Share your commitment with employees

Share your commitment and the program steps with your employees and educate them on the difference between biohazard and regular waste.

4

Pick a single red bag location

It is recommended to pick a location close to a nursing or lab station.

5

Remove biohazard containers

Remove biohazard containers from any other locations and consider using a red bag dispenser for rooms that may have higher rates of biological waste, i.e. laceration/treatment rooms

6

Share with your community

Post your commitment publicly for your community and patients to see.

7

Report waste cost quarterly

Use the "Report Waste Cost" form to report quarterly (12 months total). (scroll down for form)

EXTERNAL RESOURCES

OTHER RESOURCES

COMMITMENT TO REDUCING WASTE

OUR COMMITMENT:
We, the undersigned, are committed to doing our part to support and lead the specialty of Urgent Care medicine by significantly reducing waste generation across our operations by prioritizing responsible consumption, actively educating our employees on waste reduction strategies, and aiming to minimize our environmental impact through sustainable waste management practices, we will start with a red bag/biohazard waste reduction program.

REPORT WASTE COST

Enter the total LBS of your red bag disposal for the quarter indicated.
Enter the total cost of your red bag disposal for the quarter indicated.