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Chicago, IL· Northwestern Medicine· 894 beds

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Northwestern Memorial is the flagship academic hospital of Northwestern Medicine, pursuing HHS Climate Pledge-aligned decarbonization, OR waste reduction, and clinical recycling across its downtown Chicago campus.

HHS Climate PledgeOR wasteDecarbonization
Sustainability report
Peer benchmark

Compare to peers

Better than peers on progress
0%
vs. 0 peers · median 0%
Better than peers on waste/bed
0%
peer median 0.0 t/bed/yr
Your progress
49%
3 stated goals

Percentiles compare this hospital against peers in the selected set. Higher is better on both metrics.

Stated commitments

Goals & progress

HHS Climate Pledge: 50% emissions reduction
Target 50% reduction by 2030 · baseline 2019 · Scope 1 and 2 emissions
On track
42% of the way to goal4 yrs remaining
Source: HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge
Projected impact if deployed
Current 42%Projected 56.4%
+14.4 pts
Est. 333 tons/yr of waste diverted across the matched solutions.
Contributing solutions

Directional estimate. Tons modeled from this hospital's annual waste footprint and category benchmarks (Practice Greenhealth, vendor case studies). Diminishing returns applied when multiple solutions share a category.

Behind on this goal — 3 peers further along:
Net zero greenhouse gas emissions
Target Net zero by 2050 · baseline 2019 · Scope 1, 2, and material Scope 3
On track
22% of the way to goal24 yrs remaining
Projected impact if deployed
Current 22%Projected 41.4%
+19.4 pts
Est. 333 tons/yr of waste diverted across the matched solutions.
Contributing solutions

Directional estimate. Tons modeled from this hospital's annual waste footprint and category benchmarks (Practice Greenhealth, vendor case studies). Diminishing returns applied when multiple solutions share a category.

Behind on this goal — 3 peers further along:
Expand OR waste segregation and recycling
Target Higher diversion across surgical suites by 2028 · baseline 2022 · Blue wrap, clean plastics, red bag reduction
On track
45% of the way to goal2 yrs remaining
Projected impact if deployed
Current 45%Projected 65.9%
+20.9 pts
Est. 512 tons/yr of waste diverted across the matched solutions.
Contributing solutions

Directional estimate. Tons modeled from this hospital's annual waste footprint and category benchmarks (Practice Greenhealth, vendor case studies). Diminishing returns applied when multiple solutions share a category.

Behind on this goal — 3 peers further along:
Vendor match

Solutions that map to these goals

Products from our solutions directory that align with this hospital's stated commitments and active projects.

Compostable supplies
BioGown compostable isolation gown
Terraloam

The first closed loop, 100% compostable medical isolation gown. Replaces single use plastic gowns with a plant based alternative collected and composted through a take back program.

Impact: 176K+ gowns diverted from landfill, 95% collection rate, Premier Innovation Award winner.
View details →
Recycling & circularity
BioDigester on site composter
Terraloam

On site aerobic digester that turns up to 220 lbs of hospital food waste and Terraloam compostable film gowns into finished compost in 24 hours closing the loop between cafeteria and clinical waste streams.

Impact: Diverts ~40 tons/yr of combined food waste and compostable PPE per unit from landfill or incineration with no off site hauling.
View details →
Reusable / reprocessed devices
Single use device reprocessing
Stryker Sustainability Solutions

Largest reprocessor of single use medical devices in the U.S., recovering EP catheters, pulse oximeter sensors, compression sleeves and more for safe reuse.

Impact: ~$1B saved across 3,000+ customers and 26M+ lbs of waste diverted from landfill.
View details →
Reusable / reprocessed devices
ReNewal device reprocessing
Medline

Reprocesses single use devices and repairs rigid/flexible scopes, extending product life while maintaining FDA cleared clinical performance.

Impact: Customers like Sharp HealthCare report seven figure annual savings plus large landfill diversion.
View details →
Recycling & circularity
GENERATIONS closed loop lab plastic recycling
BD + Envetec

On site treatment system that decontaminates and recycles polystyrene petri dishes, PET tubes, medical tubing and polypropylene syringes back into usable resin.

Impact: Pilot study confirmed recovered resin meets virgin grade specs for re manufacture into healthcare plastics.
View details →
Packaging
TRUCIRCLE medical packaging
Coveris + SABIC

First closed loop recycling model for sterile medical packaging non contaminated hospital packaging waste is collected, chemically recycled, and turned back into new sterile film.

Impact: Live pilot with Zuyderland Medical Center and Artivion proving circular sterile packaging at scale.
View details →
Underway

Waste reduction projects

Pharma wasteSince 2023
Anesthetic gas footprint reduction
Desflurane removed and N2O leakage reduced
RecyclingSince 2024
OR blue wrap recycling
Sterile wrap diversion across surgical suites
ReprocessingSince 2023
Single use device reprocessing
Reprocessed surgical and cath lab devices