Welcome to BlueBin's Sustainability Focus newsletter! We're excited to bring you insights on the intersection of environmental sustainability, patient care, and staff safety, specifically how supply chain dynamics contribute to the sector's long-term viability. This newsletter will provide valuable analysis and strategies to help you navigate the challenges of maintaining environmental sustainability in healthcare and supply chain systems. Stay tuned for expert insights and actionable tips to strengthen your decision-making for a sustainable future!
Employee Spotlight
Get to know our team!
Learn more about the folks here at BlueBin who keep supplies and operations flowing.
MARGARET BOWERS
What inspires your passion for the healthcare supply chain?
I’m passionate about the healthcare supply chain because it lets us drive meaningful impact at scale. At BlueBin, we work behind the scenes—solving problems, organizing workflows, and pushing for the next right step even when change is hard. When our solutions click, everyone wins: hospitals operate smoothly, supply teams and clinicians feel empowered, and patients receive better care. That ripple effect motivates me every day.
Can you share a specific “before and after” example of the impact of a BlueBin implementation?
One of my most memorable “before and after” stories involves an EP Lab supply coordinator who was overwhelmed, skipping lunch, arriving early, and staying late to keep up. After implementing BlueBin, my PM and I did a week‑long time study: I shadowed him, pinpointed bottlenecks, and introduced targeted changes based on our SOPs. We limited orders to empty bins, avoided overstocking, and moved put‑away tasks to after lunch once deliveries arrived. By week’s end, he was noticeably less stressed, followed a transparent, efficient process, and even could manage more. That shift—from merely surviving to truly thriving—is the impact BlueBin delivers.
Outside of Work
My time usually starts with a fundamental debate—between me and my two corgis, Bernie and Tess—about which dog park we’re heading to that day. (Spoiler: they always win.) These two are my forever sidekicks, tagging along wherever they can. On sunny days, you’ll find us adventuring on beach walks or cruising down local trails—sometimes even by bike, if I’ve got enough energy to tow them behind me! When the weather’s not so great, I trade the outdoors for cozy quilting projects and getting lost in an Elin Hilderbrand book.
Industry News
Learn what's happening in healthcare sustainability.
The study shows that employing a dynamic, structural assessment framework enables healthcare systems to pinpoint their resilience strengths and vulnerabilities over time, guiding more strategic and adaptable improvements aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 3.
Developing and implementing international standards—ranging from medical equipment and AI ethics to climate adaptation and sustainability—empowers healthcare systems to become more resilient, responsive, and environmentally sustainable in the face of climate change, bridging global policy goals with practical, localized solutions.
Implementing sustainability practices in operating rooms—such as reducing single-use supplies, educating staff on waste sorting, using waterless scrubs, and powering down equipment—has consistently cut costs and significantly reduced hospitals’ carbon footprint and environmental impact.
BlueBin Client Success Story
Learn more about BlueBin client partner successes.
The OSU Wexner Medical Center advanced environmental sustainability by streamlining its supply chain with BlueBin, expanding recycling and zero waste programs, reducing energy and anesthesia-related emissions, designing carbon-conscious clinics, and integrating low-carbon procurement and federal incentives.
Polls
Give your feedback on the state of the industry.
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How is your organization reducing the carbon footprint of the OR?
Request a Complimentary Supply Chain Resilience Assessment
For a limited time, BlueBin is offering a complimentary supply chain resilience assessment for healthcare organizations, including acute and non-acute facilities, to evaluate their resilience framework against industry-leading practices.
Note: BlueBin’s mission is to transform healthcare by enhancing the supply chain process, ensuring that patient care staff have the right supplies at the right time and maximizing efficiency. In line with this mission, BlueBin advocates for and supports the AHRMM Keys for Supply Chain Excellence. By focusing on improving inventory management, optimizing supply chain processes, and minimizing waste, we aim to reduce costs, accelerate operational efficiency, and enhance clinical outcomes throughout the continuum of care. The AHRMM Keys for Supply Chain Excellence serve as key performance indicators (KPIs), establishing essential standards for supply chain management in the healthcare field. Learn more about the AHRMM Keys.
Article summary: Hospitals can significantly reduce their environmental impact by retrofitting existing buildings, prioritizing “fabric-first” energy-efficient design, embracing circular systems for water and waste, and embedding sustainability into infrastructure and culture.
Did you know? BlueBin helps hospitals reduce environmental impact by reclaiming clinical space, eliminating excess inventory and waste through lean Kanban workflows, and embedding a culture of sustainability and continuous improvement across supply chain operations.
Sustainability Tip
Data-Driven Waste Reduction
Use stale/slow items and warehouse optimization reports to identify low turnover or redundant supplies that can be removed from circulation, cutting waste, shrinking storage needs, and significantly reducing your facility’s carbon footprint.
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