In an effort to promote healthier communities, both locally and globally, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) is committed to improving environmental management throughout the organization. DHMC will manage its operations in a manner demonstrably protective of the environmental and human health.

DHMC will constantly seek new and innovative ways to meet its environmental goals through conservation, reduction, reuse and recycling programs, and through partnering with others in the community to safeguard the environment.

DHMC will apply these principles to achieve optimal environmental standards consistent with institutional goals and financial consideration.

In an effort to respect and protect the earth's resources, and to minimize environmental damage, DHMC will:

· Manage, minimize and eliminate, whenever possible, the use of hazardous materials
· Use renewable natural resources and conserve non-renewable natural resources through cost-efficient use and careful planning
· Use pollution prevention initiatives to reduce negative environmental impacts
· Minimize the generation of waste through source reduction, re-use and recycling programs
· Conserve energy and improve the energy efficiency or our operations and make every effort to use and promote environmentally safe, cost-effective and sustainable energy sources
· Ensure the health and safety of our employees by promoting safe work practices, reducing exposure, using safe technologies, and implementing effective emergency preparedness programs
· Provide employees with safety and environmental information through training and education programs in order for them to make work/practice decisions in support of these principles
· Monitor and evaluate our practices as they relate to these environmental principles.

General RFP Statements on Environmental Attributes

Protection of the earth's environment is essential for healthy communities. KP is committed to improving environmental quality by enhancing policies, programs, and practices for all of our business activities. Toward this purpose, KP has initiated a national Resource Conservation program. The goals are to minimize waste, prevent pollution, conserve natural resources, reduce costs, and model environmental protection practices within the health care industry. KP's resource conservation activities include:

· Demonstrating a preference for products that cause the least amount of environmental harm during manufacturing, use, and disposal.
· Partnering with suppliers who demonstrate a commitment to environmental quality through their business practices.
· Collaborating with distributors, manufacturers, and suppliers in designing/refining products to minimize environmental impact while maintaining quality and cost effectiveness.
· Source reduction.
· Packaging reduction.
· Purchasing recycled products with high post-consumer content, recyclable, and reusable products.
· Conserving energy and water use.
· Enhancing awareness among staff, members, and the public about resource conservation, and the linkage to public health.

KP will be using environmental criteria in its selection of suppliers. Bidders are encouraged to provide detailed information about how they have mitigated their impact on the environment, and to consider value-added services that support KP's commitment to environmental protection.
Please include responses to the following:

1.1.1 Describe your firm's internal policies, practices and procedures that mitigate environmental harm, and support sustainable practices.

1.1.2 Provide information about ways in which your firm prevents pollution. Examples include:

· distributing/manufacturing products that cause the least amount of harm to the environment during their manufacturing, use, and disposal (e.g., chlorine-free paper, non-chlorinated plastics, non-toxic solvents and dyes, mercury-free products, sustainably harvested woods).
· reducing air emissions by managing transportation (e.g., fleets that operate on alternative fuels).
· conserving energy through efficient lighting, energy-conserving equipment and machinery, using renewable energy sources.
· conserving water by reducing consumption and recycling.

1.1.3 Specify how packaging will be minimized, including programs to use returnable, refillable, reusable, biodegradable and/or recycled packaging; reusing pallets; etc.

1.1.4 How will your firm reduce paper resulting from transactions (e.g., electronic data transfer systems, &paperless 8 reporting and troubleshooting systems)

1.1.5 Provide information about other ways your firm reduces solid waste. Examples include:

· reuse and recycling programs for your products.
· use of post-consumer content in products
· recyclable products that are properly labeled with standard recycling codes

1.1.6 [For distributors only] Describe ways in which your firm can work with manufacturers to help KP achieve its environmental goals.

1.1.7 [For manufacturers only] Describe ways in which your firm can work with distributors to help KP achieve its environmental goals.

1.1.8 Provide any other information that will help KP assess your firm's commitment to the environment.

1.2 MERCURY REDUCTION
Kaiser Permanente is committed to minimizing the amount of mercury utilized in its operations, and desires to avoid the acquisition of products that contain mercury whenever feasible alternatives exist that do not compromise patient care.

The commissioner of Administration and State agencies, when purchasing under delegated authority, must purchase recycled materials when purchasing under delegated authority. The commissioner and State agencies must apply and promote the preferred waste management practices listed in Minn. Stat. 115A.02 with special emphasis on the reduction of the quantity and toxicity of waste generated.

The commissioner and State agencies must also consider the extent to which a commodity or product is durable, reusable, or recyclable and marketable through the State's Resource Recovery Program and the extent to which the commodity or product contains post-consumer material.

In June 1998, the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the American Hospital Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing goals of virtually eliminating mercury-containing waste from the healthcare industry waste stream by 2005, and reducing total waste generated by hospitals by 33 percent by 2005 and by 50 percent by 2010.

During the term of the Contract, MMCAP may be establishing contracts with manufacturers and may use a health care environmental purchasing tool for determination of an Environmentally Preferred Products (EPP) list. It is the responsibility of the Awardee to assist MMCAP Office in maintaining the EPP list and its availability.

It is CHW's policy to manage its operations in a manner demonstrably protective of Human health and the environment. CHW seeks new and better ways to meet its Environmental goals through conservation, reduction, reuse and recycling programs. CHW is committed to improving environmental management in its Divisions and to partnering with others in its community to safeguard the environment.

Shared Business Services (SBS) selects suppliers whose philosophy is consistent with CHW's social and environmental commitments. SBS supports this policy by purchasing quality products and/or services that facilitate the use of reusable and recycled products as well as the reduction and, where possible, elimination of waste.