Environment
As one of the largest employers in the region, the University Hospital is constantly faced with the challenge of using all the resources it needs in an environmentally friendly and economical way. For us, this task is expressly not an annoying duty to be fulfilled in addition to the core tasks of a supra-maximal care hospital. Rather, the environmental issue is being driven forward by a dedicated team with great commitment, a wealth of ideas and is supported by the Board of Management accordingly.
This commitment, which has been significantly expanded in recent years, is also increasingly gaining recognition outside the university hospital. For example, our environmental initiative "Carus Green" was awarded the Environmental Prize of the Free State of Saxony in the category "Environmentally oriented corporate management as well as innovative and creative achievements in environmental protection and nature conservation" in autumn this year. We are very proud of this award. It not only honours the commitment of the "Carus Green" team, but also the entire staff. Because in the final analysis, all employees have a responsibility when it comes to conserving environmentally relevant resources. The transparency of data on the hospital's internal consumption of energy, water or certain materials, as well as on other environmentally relevant topics such as waste quantities, are an important element in consciously dealing with limited resources and reducing them where possible. It is therefore important to us to publish an environmental report regularly. This document is the second of its kind and reports on the relevant facts and figures of 2014 and 2015.
In addition to the recently won environmental award of the Free State, a lot more has happened in the past months. In 2015, for example, the University Hospital received the "ECOPROFIT Company of the City of Dresden" award for the second time. The prerequisites were also created to be able to switch off operating room ventilation systems during non-operational times. This is currently being implemented in eleven operating rooms, saving about 8,200 kilowatt hours of energy per year. The basis for this was the in-house proof that this is possible without compromising patient safety.
Another success is the further increase in the proportion of recycled paper: in the past three years, this has risen from seven to 41 percent, saving 95 trees from being felled. To further strengthen environmental awareness among the staff, an internal clinic photo competition was held in 2014 around the "natural beauty" on the grounds of the University Hospital. A total of over 200 photos were sent in. The five most popular photos can be seen on the cover of this environmental report.
In addition, the "Carus Green" initiative organised the second Environment Day at the University Hospital. A service machine for cyclists - the "Bikeomat" was also inaugurated in the reporting room. In addition, 69,152 used pens and highlighters made of plastic have been collected in a campaign so far. The proceeds of 1,443 euros went to the child and adolescent psychiatry department of the university hospital for additional equipment of the clinic.
Download
Environmental report of the University Medicine Dresden for the reporting years 2016/2017
Contact
Carus Green
c/o Monika Brandt, Environmental Protection and Waste Management Officer
Tel. 0351 458-3680
carusgreen
University Hospital receives Saxon Environmental Award 2015 in the category "Environmentally Oriented Corporate Management and Innovative and Creative Achievements in Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation".
In prize category III "Environmentally oriented corporate management as well as innovative and creative achievements in environmental protection and nature conservation", the hospital came out on top with its overarching project "Carus Green for a healthy environment".
Today (26 September 2015), Environment Minister Thomas Schmidt presented the awards to the winners of the Saxon Environmental Award in the chapel of the Dresden Residence Palace. "In Saxony there are many good pioneering ideas for conserving resources and protecting nature and the environment," said the Minister. "We award the best projects every two years. On the one hand, this is intended as an appreciation of the ideas and to make them known. But of course we also want to encourage other companies, associations and individuals to put their ideas into practice and thus do something for nature and the environment. It is also important to me to exchange these creative ideas, which could be further developed in research, for example."
A seven-member jury of representatives from science, business, politics, administration and the media had selected a total of eight award winners from 66 applications, who were honoured at the ceremony with prize money totalling 50,000 euros for their outstanding achievements in environmental protection and nature conservation.
In prize category III "Environmentally oriented corporate management as well as innovative and creative achievements in environmental protection and nature conservation", the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden came out on top with its overarching project "Carus Green for a healthy environment". Since 2013, the hospital has saved 1,317,000 kilowatt hours of energy, 807,500 kilograms of carbon dioxide, 617,000 litres of water and wastewater and 1.33 tons of waste. The most important fields of action of the Carus Green project are regular environmental days, the reduction of electrical and heating energy consumption in public areas and the improvement of the infrastructure for cyclists. The demand-oriented operation of air-conditioning systems in operating rooms is groundbreaking and unique in Germany. During non-operating times, eight operating rooms currently save about 64,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year. Three more operating rooms with switch-off options are to follow. For 17 operating rooms in the new building, the concept has already been taken into account since the construction planning phase.
The prize money of 10,000 euros will be used, among other things, to be able to present information on environmentally friendly behaviour at the workplace in the various areas of the University Hospital even better than before.
In prize category I "Environmentally friendly technologies and production processes", the award goes to Loser Chemie GmbH in Langenweißbach. Loser Chemie GmbH (46 employees) has developed a new technology for recycling photovoltaic modules. On the one hand, the process is environmentally friendly and, on the other hand, it enables the reuse of part of the waste. Until now, the recycling of modules was limited to classic shredding. The new technology makes it possible to isolate individual elements from the sandwich structures. This increases the economic efficiency of solar energy while avoiding hazardous waste. Loser Chemie GmbH had already participated in the Saxon Environmental Award in 2011 and 2013 with very good projects.
The winner in prize category II "Environmentally friendly products" was Adensis GmbH from Dresden. The company with eleven employees developed the so-called "Energy Buffer Unit" - a container-sized battery storage unit for the energy transition. It is a high-performance battery storage unit that ensures a secure and reliable power supply due to its fast and flexible reactivity. The use of battery storage is an important prerequisite for the expansion of renewable energies. A monitoring and control system enables remote monitoring and remote access to the battery storage system of Adensis GmbH, so that operation is also possible efficiently in remote regions.
The carpentry company Schlosser und Schlosser GbR from Oelsnitz/Vogtland received a recognition award in the prize category II "Environmentally friendly products". The small craft business with five employees has constructed a versatile, environmentally friendly climate panel. The climate panel consists of a wood fibre carrier board, a clay layer and a sheep wool fleece, which are bonded without chemical or artificial materials. With this climate panel, all the decisive factors for improving the indoor air are agreed in one building component: Thermal insulation, moisture storage capacity and sound absorption. The joinery supplies and processes only natural and durable insulation materials.
A recognition award in the award category III "Environmentally oriented corporate management as well as innovative and creative achievements in environmental protection and nature conservation" goes to the agricultural company Thomas Fischer from Hirschstein (Meißen district). The company initiated the project "8527 metres of life", which improved the breeding and feeding conditions for partridges and other animal species in the southern region of Riesa. Together with other farms, with the Neschwitz bird sanctuary and with the hunting association, flowering fallows and hedges were created, among other things, in which the partridges find food and cover.
Another recognition award in the category "Environmentally oriented business management as well as innovative and creative achievements in environmental protection and nature conservation" goes to "ernst aber lässig UG" with its fashion label "dreiklang". The small start-up company based in Thum relies on materials from the region for production, thus keeping transport distances short and saving carbon dioxide. Other hallmarks of the company are the sustainable use of residual materials and packaging made from recycled materials.
The winner of category IV "Outstanding achievements in the field of environmental education" is the International Meeting Centre St. Marienthal in Ostritz with the project "Sustainability pilots - disadvantaged young people become active! ln the context of the project, 82 young people with learning disabilities from often difficult social backgrounds were trained as "sustainability pilots". Among other things, the sustainability pilots have informed more than 1,000 young people how to properly ventilate rooms, used "ventilation services" in many school classes and repaired leaky windows. The project is very well received by the disadvantaged young people, who are committed to sustainability in their environment. Through the work of the young people, special schools, associations and private households benefit from a decrease in the consumption of energy, water and waste.
The special prize for "environmental achievements of children's institutions, especially achievements in the field of environmental education and holistic concepts" was won by the Kindervilla "Pusteblume" with its forest kindergarten "Waldstrolche". The supporting association, the "mit Kind"-Familieninitiative Lößnitz e. V., promotes the children's environmental awareness in both facilities with its project "The love of nature begins with the smallest ones". By using a solar system and a well, separating waste, composting and using water sparingly, children and staff become aware of the importance of sustainable environmental protection.
Information on the environmental award: http://www.smul.sachsen.de/smul/1444.htm