Wisconsin Healthcare for a Healthy Environment Project

Partnership with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

SHWEC and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have had a long history of working together to promote waste reduction in healthcare. SHWEC and DNR have presented workshops on waste reduction and mercury elimination going back to the late 1990s. DNR organized regular quarterly workshops specifically for healthcare starting in late 2004, with assistance from SHWEC. When SHWEC obtained the EPA grant to start Wisconsin Healthcare for a Healthy Environment in late 2007, DNR wrote a letter of support and provided other assistance.

DNR continues to focus on regulatory compliance, while SHWEC is focusing on pollution prevention in healthcare. However, DNR does still promote waste reduction in healthcare (see its Medical Waste pages) and SHWEC offers compliance assistance in the form of waste assessments.

Here is a presentation from DNR's Joanie Burns, regarding its healthcare hazardous waste compliance initiative. For more information about the initiative visit DNR's healthcare waste pages.