Donation and Surplus Programs

Why Include Donation and Surplus Programs in a Waste Reduction Program?

There are likely many surplus medical supplies, equipment, and devices that are in good working order, but no longer in used or needed by your facility. Rather than disposing of these items, healthcare facilities should explore options for reuse through surplus resale or charitable donations to organizations in your community or as far away as a developing country on the other side of the globe.

Diverting waste through donation and surplus programs can help reduce waste disposal costs and, in some cases, even generate revenue if items are sold to other healthcare facilities or the public. In addition, your facility could avoid disposal issues associated with hazardous constituents in computers or other electronic equipment if these items are donated for reuse by other organizations. Finally, your facility can have a positive impact on your community and the world by donating needed medical supplies, equipment, and devices to charitable organizations, schools, and other organizations.

What Items Can be Donated to Whom?

There are a variety of used or surplus medical supplies, equipment, and devices that can be included in donation and surplus programs, with equally as many organizations needing these items. For all opportunities identified below, setting up a successful donation or surplus program simply requires identifying items that are no longer needed but can still be used and matching them with a new owner within your facility or community.

Medical Equipment and Supplies.

If a department at your facility upgrades to new equipment, the equipment being replaced may still have a useful life. Consider relocating used medical equipment to other departments in your facility, or giving the equipment to other healthcare facilities in your community or state, such as free clinics. In addition, there are several charitable programs and medical missionary organizations that provide developing countries with medical equipment and surplus medical supplies (Cecilia: Provide hyperlink to section below).

Computers and Other Electronics.

Computers and other electronics are often replaced before the end of their useful life. Consider donating the equipment to free healthcare clinics, schools, churches, or local shelters. Of course, special care should be taken to ensure all confidential data is removed from computers prior to donation and that the receiving party is aware of any end-of-life disposal requirements for the items. Donating electronic items versus disposal will avoid the strict disposal requirements of the Universal Waste Rule.

Furniture.

When furniture is replaced through remodeling or renovation, used furniture and fixtures that are still of good quality can be made available to other departments at your facility or donated to other healthcare facilities in your community or state, such as free clinics. Alternatively, furniture from patient waiting areas and administrative offices could be donated to charitable or community organizations, or sold to the public through formal surplus programs.

Office Supplies.

Used office supplies, such as desk organizers, binders, staplers, and scissors, and surplus office supplies, such as legal pads, pens and pencils, paper clips, and staples, can be donated to other departments at your facility as well as to public or charitable organizations, including schools, churches, or local shelters.

Food.

Surplus food from the cafeteria at your facility, including prepared, perishable, and nonperishable items, can be donated to charitable organizations such as local shelters and food banks.

Miscellaneous Items.

With a little creativity, many other used and surplus items can be donated to charitable or other organizations for a variety of purposes. For example, old linens and towels can be donated to a local humane society or animal shelter for use as bedding in dog kennels (see Success Stories, below). In addition, items such as old magazines, coffee cans, or glass jars could be donated to local schools for use in class projects.

Components of Donation and Surplus Programs.

Donation and surplus programs at your facility may consist of several different components, ranging from cooperatives with non-profit organizations to partnerships with local community organizations.

• Medical equipment and/or supplies donation programs. Several reputable organizations collect medical equipment and supplies and distribute them to healthcare facilities in developing countries around the world. The following are just a few examples:

1. REMEDY, Recovered Medical Equipment for the Developing World

1. Med-Eq, The Medical Equipment Donation Agency

1. Child Family Health International’s Recover Program

1. Direct Relief International

1. Medisend International
   

• Community classifieds. Classified advertisements in local newspapers and online resources such as MedMart and Craigslist may be used to sell used or surplus items, such as medical equipment and furniture to other healthcare facilities and the public, respectively.

• Office supply exchange program. A formal office supply exchange program could be established, allowing hospital personnel to drop off used or surplus office supplies and pick up needed office supplies before purchasing new items. The following are examples of successful office supply exchange programs that can be used as models for establishing a similar program in your facility:

1. Reusable Office Supply Exchange (R.O.S.E.) at the University of Oregon

1. The R.O.S.E. Program at Humboldt State University

1. Office Supply Collection and Reuse (OSCAR) at the University of Vermont

• Cooperative programs with local groups. Although one-time donations could be made, cooperative programs with schools, churches, local shelters, food banks and other charitable community organizations could be established to donate specific items on a regular basis. For example, your facility’s cafeteria may donate leftover prepared food to a local shelter every evening, as does the Yale-New Haven Hospital’s Food Rescue Program.

Considerations for Developing Donation and Surplus Programs.

If your facility intends to develop donation and surplus programs, consider the following:

1. Use established programs.

Identify established local or state programs that collect and redistribute donated items in your area. First make use of these programs rather than establishing a new program.

2. Track donations.

Keep track of donations to help your facility monitor cost-savings from waste reduction through donation, as well as to calculate potential tax deductions.

3. Consider liability issues.

Coordinate with your legal department before making any donations to evaluate any potential liability issues to prevent lawsuits.

Success Stories.

Many healthcare facilities have already established successful donation and surplus programs, including the following:

• Saint John Hospital in Leavenworth, Kansas, donated items, including mattresses designed for ICU beds that had been put in storage after the hospital recently replaced the mattresses as well as a ventilator that was previously used in the University of Saint Mary nursing program, to Rotary members in Kansas’ District 571, who sent a 40-foot container filled with used medical equipment and supplies to Anita Moreno Azuero Regional Hospital in Panama.

• Johnson City Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee, “diverts worn-out linens and towels to the local humane society for bedding in kennels, thus avoiding disposal costs and ‘doing good’ at the same time.”

Key Resources:

Practice Greenhealth Waste Reduction Guide – Appendix N – Resources for Donation

Practice Greenhealth.

Provides a list of resources, including local, national, and international organizations, to which your facility can donate used and surplus items; though not exhaustive, can suggest the types of organizations to which your facility can donate.

Guidebook for Hospital Waste Reduction Planning and Program Implementation (Chapter 5, Source Reduction)

American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES). 1996.

Discusses ways to donate unused medical supplies (in the Supply Wastes section), provides guidelines for collecting unused supplies, and describes donating miscellaneous items (in the Unusual Reuse Efforts section).

WasteWise Update: Donation Programs, Turning Trash into Treasure

EPA. August 1997.

Describes several donation programs, including one for medical supplies, provides information on setting up a donation program, and presents a resource listing for donation and reuse.

List of State-specific Materials Exchanges

EPA. March 15, 2007.

Provides information on markets for buying and selling reusable and recyclable commodities by state.