Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

Chapter 12
Environmental Issues and
Waste Management
Food service directors or managers are expected to know about issues that will affect the cost
and efficiency of their operations. Environmental issues such as the disposal of solid biological
waste and hazardous waste (including medical waste and hazardous chemicals), air pollution,
energy conservation, water quality and quantity, and the cost and availability of natural
resources are some of the issues predicted to influence health care food service operations during
the next decade. Hospitals are being challenged by the public to take a more active role in
addressing environmental concerns within the community. As a result, many hospitals now provide
leadership in developing strategic environmental programs that extend into the community.
This chapter presents an overview of environmental issues, suggests waste management
strategies that can be implemented in health care food service departments, emphasizes the
importance of top-management support and employee involvement in developing and implementing
various waste management programs, and identifies environmental issues to be monitored.
Specifically, solid waste management strategies—waste source reduction, composting,
and recycling—are discussed. Two methods of identifying a facility’s waste stream, wastestream
analysis and waste auditing, are described. Next, hazardous waste management in a
nutrition and food service operation is examined, with specific emphasis on hazardous chemicals
waste, storage, and disposal.
Guidelines for energy use and conservation through an energy management program are
presented, using a five-step model, after which air pollution and water conservation are examined
in light of current legislation. All these are tied into comprehensive environmental issues
as they affect a food service department director’s responsibilities.
Solid Waste Management
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines solid waste as the products and
materials discarded after use in homes, commercial establishments, and industrial facilities.
Anywhere we look—highways, parking lots, or yards—waste can be found; it is everywhere.
Solid waste disposal is currently one of the most costly environmental problems, affecting
not only the food service department but also every department in a health care facility. The
EPA defines municipal solid waste as “waste such as durable goods, containers and packaging,
food scraps, yard trimmings, and miscellaneous inorganic waste from residential, commercial,
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