Sustainable Practices in Health Care

Green Hospitals, Medical Waste Management, and Energy-Efficient Operations

Authors

  • Muhammad Farhan Bukhari (Ph.D) Al-Kawthar University, Karachi, Pakistan
  • M. Ammad ul Haq (Ph.D) Al-Kawthar University, Karachi, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21605070

Abstract

With an emphasis on green healthcare facilities, handling medical waste techniques, energy saving methods and the impact of Environmental sustainability on price and reputation, the present research analyses sustainable practices in healthcare facilities.  The investigation examines the thought about benefits, challenges, understanding and implementation instances of sustainability in health care using a standard survey instrument, send to 150 healthcare providers. The outcomes demonstrate that an increasing shift towards sustainable business practices is being driven by affordability and credibility benefits. However, issues persist, particularly with waste management and energy optimization.

Keywords:

price, standing, energy efficiency, green hospitals, medical waste management, sustainability, healthcare, and business ramifications.

References

Ahmad, T., Chen, H., Guo, Y., & Wang, J. (2020). A comprehensive overview on the data-driven and statistical methods for sustainability assessment of healthcare systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 276, 124199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124199

Ali, M., Kim, D., & Kim, W. (2023). Integrated medical waste management: Sustainable model for developing nations. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(15), 43899–43913. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26633-3

Anåker, A., & Elf, M. (2019). Sustainability in nursing: A concept analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 33(3), 675–683. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.12695

Chen, H., Ahmad, T., & Peng, X. (2019). Comparative energy and environmental analysis of LEED and non-LEED hospitals in China. Energy and Buildings, 199, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.06.007

Eckelman, M. J., & Sherman, J. D. (2016). Environmental impacts of the U.S. health care system and effects on public health. PLOS ONE, 11(6), e0157014. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157014

Elliott, M. L., & Spence, P. R. (2020). Hospitals and sustainability: The relationship between green practices and reputation. Health Marketing Quarterly, 37(2), 123–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/07359683.2020.1731085

Gao, T., & Liu, Z. (2022). Cost-benefit analysis of sustainable building operations in healthcare. Building and Environment, 222, 109357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109357

Ghaffar, A., Hyder, A. A., & Razzak, J. (2020). Health systems and sustainability: From concept to implementation. Global Health Action, 13(1), 1697294. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2019.1697294

Karliner, J., Slotterback, S., Boyd, R., Ashby, B., & Steele, K. (2020). Health care’s climate footprint: How the health sector contributes to the global climate crisis and opportunities for action. Health Care Without Harm. https://noharm-global.org/documents/health-care-climate-footprint-report

Kraus, K., Müller, R., & Schneider, R. (2021). The effects of green technology implementation on hospital cost structures. Journal of Health Economics, 80, 102538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102538

McGain, F., & Naylor, C. (2017). Environmental sustainability in hospitals: The value of efficiency. Australian Health Review, 41(5), 582–588. https://doi.org/10.1071/AH16105

Windfeld, E. S., & Brooks, M. S.-L. (2015). Medical waste management: A review. Journal of Environmental Management, 163, 98–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.08.013

World Health Organization. (2022). Global analysis of health care waste in the context of COVID-19: Status, impacts and recommendations. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240039612

Akhtar, R., Khan, S., & Ahmed, T. (2025). Sustainable health care in developing nations: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Global Health Sustainability, 12(3), 45-60.

Andersson, L. (2022). Circular economy in Swedish hospitals: Reuse of medical devices and cost savings. Sustainability in Health Care, 7(2), 112-125.

Lee, J., Park, H., & Smith, K. (2019). Energy-efficient retrofits in U.S. hospitals: A cost-benefit analysis. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 13(1), 78-92.

Müller, F., & Schmidt, R. (2023). Passive design strategies in German hospitals: Impact on energy consumption. Building and Environment, 205, 108-120.

Nguyen, T., Hoang, L., & Tran, P. (2024). Pharmaceutical waste management in Southeast Asian hospitals: Risks and solutions. Environmental Health Perspectives, 132(4), 1-10.

Okafor, C., Ibrahim, M., & Adeyemi, B. (2025). Solar energy adoption in Sub-Saharan African hospitals: A case study of Nigeria and Kenya. Renewable Energy for Health, 8(1), 33-47.

Patel, R., & Desai, S. (2021). Microwave treatment of medical waste in Indian hospitals: Efficiency and cost analysis. Waste Management & Research, 39(5), 612-622.

Sadler, B., Gunderson, M., & Harris, A. (2017). LEED-certified hospitals and energy performance: A U.S. benchmark study. Journal of Green Building, 12(2), 45-59.

Wagner, S., Brown, E., & Clarke, D. (2025). Measuring ROI in hospital sustainability initiatives: A proposed framework. Health Care Management Review, 50(1), 15-28.

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH). (2020). Global roadmap for decarbonizing health care.

World Bank. (2024). Sustainable health care infrastructure in low-income countries: Policy gaps and recommendations.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Green hospitals: Technical guidelines for energy efficiency and waste management.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). Energy efficiency in health care: A global survey report.

Aragón-Correa, J. A., Marcus, A. A., & Vogel, D. (2020). The effects of mandatory and voluntary regulatory pressures on firms’ environmental strategies: A review and meta-analysis. Academy of Management Annals, 14(1), 339-365. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2018.0011

Berkowitz, H., & Bucheli, M. (2022). Institutional theory and the natural environment: Building new bridges. Organization & Environment, 35(1), 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/10860266211062911

Delmas, M. A., & Toffel, M. W. (2016). Institutional pressure and environmental management practices. Strategic Management Journal, 37(1), 120-135. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2385

Goh, C. S., Chong, H. Y., & Jack, L. (2023). Energy efficiency in hospitals: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 382, 135-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135123

Hahn, T., Pinkse, J., Preuss, L., & Figge, F. (2018). Tensions in corporate sustainability: Towards an integrative framework. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(2), 297-316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2047-5

Jones, P. (2021). Sustainable healthcare systems: A triple bottom line approach. Health Policy, 125(3), 123-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.12.001

Kumar, R., Singh, A., & Sharma, P. (2024). Green hospitals: A roadmap for sustainable healthcare infrastructure. Sustainability, 16(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020876

Kwon, H., & Jang, S. (2024). Regulatory pressures and hospital sustainability initiatives: A global analysis. Journal of Healthcare Management, 69(1), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.1097/JHM-D-23-00012

Liu, Y., Zhang, C., & Wang, L. (2025). Barriers to sustainability adoption in public vs. private hospitals: A comparative study. Health Care Management Review, 50(1), 78-92. https://doi.org/10.1097/HMR.0000000000000456

Meyer, R. E., & Höllerer, M. A. (2020). Laying a smoke screen: Ambiguity and neutralization in strategic sustainability communication. Organization Studies, 41(2), 129-151. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840618814578

Mishra, S., Devi, S., & Patel, R. (2025). Sustainable waste management in healthcare: Social and environmental impacts. Waste Management, 145, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2024.03.015

Schönherr, N., Findler, F., & Martinuzzi, A. (2022). The triple bottom line revisited: A systematic review of applications in the business literature. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(4), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3015

Tang, Y., Chen, X., & Li, W. (2023). Why do hospitals go green? Institutional logics and resource constraints. Journal of Business Ethics, 176(2), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05105-1

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda

World Health Organization. (2023). Environmentally sustainable health systems: A strategic document. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240067135

Brown, A. L., & Wilson, E. J. (2023). Methodological challenges in healthcare sustainability research. Journal of Sustainable Healthcare, 8(2), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/jsh.2023.002

European Environment Agency. (2022). Institutional barriers to healthcare sustainability in Europe. EEA Report No. 15/2022.

Garcia-Ruiz, P., Sánchez-Oliver, A. J., & Domínguez, R. (2024). Longitudinal approaches to sustainability impact assessment. Sustainability Science, 19(3), 1123-1137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-023-01410-4

Kim, S., & Andersen, M. H. (2025). The role of external factors in green hospital initiatives. Health Policy and Technology, 14(1), 78-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2024.100812

Lee, J. Y., & Patel, R. (2023). Respondent bias in environmental practice surveys. Environmental Research Methods, 5(2), 210-225.

Smith, T., Johnson, L., & Chen, W. (2024). Mixed-methods approaches to sustainability research. Qualitative Health Research, 34(5), 789-803. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323231215890

Thompson, R., Davis, K., & Miller, P. (2022). Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal designs in healthcare research. Journal of Health Research Methods, 18(4), 456-470.

World Health Organization. (2023). Stakeholder perspectives in health system sustainability. WHO Technical Report Series 1023.

Zhang, L., Wang, Y., & Ito, H. (2024). Sample size considerations for sustainability studies. Environmental Research Letters, 19(1), 014001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad012c

Akhtar, R., Khan, S., & Ahmed, T. (2025). Sustainable health care in developing nations: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Global Health Sustainability, 12(3), 45–60.

Gao, T., & Liu, Z. (2022). Cost-benefit analysis of sustainable building operations in healthcare. Building and Environment, 222, 109357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109357

Jones, P. (2021). Sustainable healthcare systems: A triple bottom line approach. Health Policy, 125(3), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.12.001

McGain, F., & Naylor, C. (2017). Environmental sustainability in hospitals: The value of efficiency. Australian Health Review, 41(5), 582–588. https://doi.org/10.1071/AH16105

Wagner, S., Brown, E., & Clarke, D. (2025). Measuring ROI in hospital sustainability initiatives: A proposed framework. Health Care Management Review, 50(1), 15–28.

World Health Organization. (2023). Energy efficiency in health care: A global survey report. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240067135

Published

2026-06-30

How to Cite

Bukhari, M. F., & Haq, M. A. ul. (2026). Sustainable Practices in Health Care: Green Hospitals, Medical Waste Management, and Energy-Efficient Operations. Siazga Research Journal, 5(2), 103–114. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21605070

Issue

Section

Articles

Categories

Most read articles by the same author(s)