Without Harm is a collaborative, international campaign advocating environmentally responsible health care. Its mission is to transform the health care industry so it is no longer a source of environmental harm by eliminating pollution in health care practices without compromising safety or care. For Canadian health care institutions, environmental stewardship needs to become a basic principle upon which it makes decisions concerning waste management, product purchasing, staff training and safety and patient care.
Canadian hospitals can make a new commitment to protecting our health and environment.
Currently, over 41 American hospitals, including Beth Israel Medical Center and the New England Medical Center, have endorsed the goals of Health Care Without Harm. The campaign has helped them share successes and challenges in becoming more environmentally-responsible with each other, has dramatically cut hospital costs, and has shown their leadership and vision to the community. This practice is quite costly for the hospital and poses serious, avoidable risks to the environment and human health by emitting toxic substances like dioxin and mercury. Safe and economical alternatives to incineration exist, and can be combined with an effective waste segregation program to both reduce pollution and cut hospital disposal costs. A growing body of evidence has shown that PVC IV bags can expose patients to toxic phthalates, and when PVC is incinerated, dioxins are released into the community.