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Chicago, IL· Rush University System for Health· 664 beds

Rush University Medical Center

Rush University Medical Center signed the HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge in June 2022, committing to 50% emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Rush has committed to 100% renewable energy by 2030, designs new campus buildings to LEED Gold, and has won three consecutive Practice Greenhealth Emerald Awards (2023-2025) after earning Partner for Change in 2022.

HHS Climate Pledge100% renewable by 2030Practice Greenhealth EmeraldLEED Gold new builds
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
55%
3 stated goals

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

Stated commitments

Goals & progress

100% renewable electricity
Target 100% renewable by 2030 · baseline 2022 · Community solar procurement and on-campus efficiency projects; 2022 efficiency work cut electricity use by 3.4M kWh/yr
On track
50% of the way to goal4 yrs remaining
Source: Rush Environmental Sustainability
Behind on this goal — 3 peers further along:
HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge - 50% emissions reduction
Target 50% reduction by 2030, net zero by 2050 by 2030 · baseline 2022 · Signed June 2022; 97% reduction in desflurane use since 2017
On track
40% of the way to goal4 yrs remaining
Source: Rush HHS Climate Pledge
Projected impact if deployed
Current 40%Projected 55.6%
+15.6 pts
Est. 260 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:
Practice Greenhealth Emerald Award (top 20% of Partner for Change)
Target Emerald Award by 2025 · baseline 2022 · Three consecutive Emerald Awards 2023-2025 after 2022 Partner for Change; also 2023 Making Medicine Mercury Free Award
Achieved
100% of the way to goal0 yrs remaining
Source: Rush awards and recognition
Projected impact if deployed
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.

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.
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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 →
Compostable supplies
Plastic free medication cup
Plastilose

First fully plastic free, PFAS free medication cup, made from bacterial cellulose. Naturally biodegrades in ~3 months and is ISO 10993 biocompatibility tested.

Impact: Replaces billions of single use plastic souffle cups used for med pass each year.
View details →
Underway

Waste reduction projects

EnergySince 2022
ComEd MBCx energy efficiency program
ComEd Project of the Year 2022-2024; 3.4M kWh/yr saved in 2022; flagship project saves 2.2M kWh/yr
ReprocessingSince 2022
Single-use medical device reprocessing
10,300 lbs (95,000+ devices) diverted in 2022 via sterilization and recertification
Food wasteSince 2022
Central kitchen composting program
27,000 lbs of organic waste composted in first two months of launch (2022)
Food wasteSince 2022
Surplus food donation to Franciscan Outreach
19,700 lbs of surplus food donated in 2022
RecyclingSince 2022
Rheaply furniture & equipment reuse platform
35,000 lbs of usable furniture/equipment diverted from landfill in 2022
WaterSince 2020
Medical gas delivery system upgrade
Saves 11 million gallons of water per year
Pharma wasteSince 2017
Desflurane reduction
97% reduction in use of high-GWP desflurane since 2017
EnergySince 2022
Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building (LEED Gold design)
New campus buildings designed to LEED Gold standard