Sustainability Annual Report 2024
In fiscal year 2024, UCLA Health continued to advance waste reduction and diversion efforts. UCLA Health implemented a launderable patient glide sheet as part of a multidisciplinary team effort, which will reduce waste by thousands of pounds annually.
UCLA Health observed an increase and expansion in categories of reprocessed devices collected and continued to collect and divert blue wrap for recycling. A process was implemented to divert medical equipment and furniture at the end of its life from landfill for collection and consignment, which yielded 10,000 pounds of donated items in fiscal year 2024. UCLA Health’s recycling streams increased by 600,000 pounds, from 24.8% to 28.4% of its total waste profile.
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The Food Services & Nutrition team launched a plant-forward salad bar at both Ronald Reagan and Santa Monica medical centers. The team continues to innovate in its procurement practices, achieving a 27% sustainable and/or local food spend.UCLA Health continued to develop an equity-centered Climate Resiliency Plan, established a formal structure for operational and clinical resiliency, and provided updates in the formal UC Health Climate Pledge Progress Report. Clinical teams are conducting research associated with the health impacts of climate hazards, developing climate impact assessment tools and creating educational materials for clinicians and patients.
Stories
Announcing the Winners of the 2023 Health Care Climate Challenge
UCLA Health was recognized for its work tracking, reporting and planning for the reduction of emissions as well as planning for resiliency as part of the Health Sector Pledge Commitment. UCLA Health was recognized as the Climate Champion for the North American region out of over 200 institutions in 18 countries.
UCLA Health Staff Engage in Celebrating Unity and Kindness Day
On May 31, 2024, UCLA Health celebrated its third annual Unity and Kindness Day, which focused this year on advancing environmental justice, addressing the impacts of climate and high heat on human health as well as climate resiliency planning. Attendees were encouraged to identify opportunities and make commitments in their daily lives to address climate change and advance environmental justice.
FOOD
of food and beverage purchases met sustainability criteria ($5.2M)
of food and beverage purchases were plant-based ($12.1M)
UCLA Health Food Services continued to emphasize increasing sustainable spend, which held steady at 27% for fiscal year 2024. UCLA Health continues to see an increase in overall patient visits and adjusted patient days, but is prioritizing increasing plant-based offerings and plant-forward alternatives to reduce emissions associated with meat purchasing.
procurement
green spend on appliances and IT hardware (100%)
green spend on office supplies (9%)
cost savings through medical device reprocessing (representing 33,960 pounds of waste avoided)
The Procurement team worked to update formularies to include Preferred Green Spend Criteria for office products. Currently departmental buyers are unable to easily distinguish preferred green spend criteria, but attributable spend is expected to increase in coming years. UCLA Health is currently out to bid for an enterprise resource planning upgrade, with product categorization, spend criteria fields and designations a key attribute in the request for proposals. Information technology equipment is centrally controlled, so UCLA Health has been able to achieve significant green spend percentages in that category.
Green spend is defined as meeting preferred or minimum criteria in UC’s Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
Suppliers reporting: Appliances and IT hardware (5), Office supplies (1).
“Reprocessing” refers to the FDA-approved re-manufacturing process carried out on a used device, including cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, testing and related procedures to allow its safe reuse. This process allows health facilities to reduce their reliance on single-use devices.
Transportation
of students and employees are utilizing sustainable commuting methods
EV charging ports
There are 18 Level 2 chargers in use at the Arizona Parking Structure for Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, with tentative future plans to install 12 Level 1 outlets. UCLA Health has two Level 2 pay-for-use chargers at UCLA West Valley Medical Center. Commute modes for Westwood locations are reported by UCLA, but for Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, 587 employees travel by mode other than single-occupancy vehicle, including 240 by carpool or vanpool, 138 by train or bus, and 109 by walking or cycling.
ZERO WASTE – GENERATION
*Per capita figures are calculated using Adjusted Patient Day (APD).
**Data provided if not counted in other waste streams.
Recycling and hazardous recycling streams increased by almost 4%, or more than 600,000 pounds of waste. Solid waste decreased by over 100,000 pounds, which represents a reduction of approximately 4%. Overall total waste generated increased by over 650,000 pounds. While UCLA Health continues to work toward the goal of 25 pounds per adjusted patient day (APD), total waste in 2023–24 was slightly above that goal at 28 pounds per APD.
Single-Use Plastics Phase-Out
Complete Phase-out*
- Plastic bags
- Beverage bottles in UC dining facilities
- Beverage bottles in vending machines
Partial Phase-out
- N/A
Starting Soon
- Foodware in UC dining facilities
- Foodware in third-party dining facilities
*Complete phase-out of single-use plastics may include exemptions where reasonable alternatives to plastic do not exist.
UCLA Health is transitioning away from single-use plastics. It has completely phased out plastic bags and single-use plastic beverage bottles in its dining facilities and vending machines. Over the past year, UCLA Health installed hydration stations at Ronald Reagan and Santa Monica Medical Centers to promote use of reusable and refillable bottles.
Awards
Practice Greenhealth named Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center one of the top 25 hospitals in the country for sustainability. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was recognized with an Emerald Award. Both hospitals received numerous Circles of Excellence Awards. Health Care Without Harm operates the Health Care Climate Challenge, a global awards program that celebrates and recognizes health care organizations for their sustainability and environmental protection actions. Of 200 participants in 18 countries, UCLA Health received the Climate Champion Award for the North America region.
A full list of awards is featured on the UC Office of the President’s website.
Combined Data
Progress on the following policy areas for this Health System are reported by the campus location: