4 Ways to Improve Sustainability in the Medical Field

Julie Starr • March 5, 2022



Oftentimes, sustainability is discussed in the context of for-profit businesses and personal initiatives. One area in which it is often overlooked is healthcare. The medical field, whether concerned with provider-to-patient interactions or scientific research behind the scenes, is sometimes viewed as exempt from this conversation.

The required use of water, electricity, chemical disinfectants, and single-use plastics to ensure patient comfort and sanitization may make sustainability seem like it’s out of the question. The truth of the matter is that keeping science eco-friendly is just as important as keeping other business operations eco-friendly. 

While a complete overhaul of the system may not be possible yet, there are still a few ways that sustainability in the medical field can be improved today. 

Use renewable energy sources

Just like other infrastructure, hospital buildings, clinics, and research centers can upgrade their energy system to include efficient and renewable energy sources. A medical fridge can be powered by electricity generated through solar and wind energy and rooms can be kept warm by improving seals around windows and doors. 

Reduce transportation distances

By partnering with local external stakeholders, healthcare facilities can reduce their environmental impact significantly. Partner with a waste disposal company that is close by, and work with suppliers who aren’t located overseas. 

Using vehicles partially powered by biodiesel is also a great option, as is setting up incentives for staff to commute using transit systems and carpooling. 

Decrease water usage

Water is essential for protecting the health of patients and staff. However, water consumption can still be reduced in healthcare settings without compromising on health. Upgrading water heating systems to ensure that water comes out of the tap hot and doesn’t need to be needlessly run first makes a massive impact. 

Conducting a thorough investigation of equipment to fix leaks is also an important first step. To take this further, healthcare institutions can also harvest their own rainwater for activities like mopping floors and wiping counters. 

Reduce packaging waste

Single-use plastics are a huge problem in hospitals. From individually-wrapped medical supplies (such as needles), masks, and disposable patient dinnerware and cutlery, hospitals generate a significant amount of waste. 

The good news is that there are eco-friendly suppliers out there. Though it may cost more, hospitals should invest in providers who use compostable materials, tools that can be sterilized and reused, and products that come in less packaging. 

Promote a culture of sustainability

To successfully integrate sustainable practices in any business or association, every person involved must be on the same page. It’s not enough to try to improve sustainability behind the scenes; staff at all levels should be aware that this is a corporate goal and value. 

A specific department dedicated to sustainability and green initiatives will help the facility stay up to date on the newest technologies, as well as the environmental and financial benefits of implementing these technologies. 

Staff should also be trained on sustainable practices to ensure that they’re conscious of and confident in eco-friendly procedures. Creating opportunities with front-line staff to discuss what is and isn’t working will also allow you to get the feedback you wouldn’t otherwise have and make changes accordingly. 

Earth Day is a Moment. Sustainability is a Journey.

By Julie Starr • April 7, 2025
Every April 22nd, Earth Day reminds us of our shared responsibility to care for the planet. It’s a powerful moment for reflection, recognition, and renewed commitment to environmental stewardship. But for companies like Taiga, Earth Day is not just a day—it's a checkpoint in a journey that spans all 365 days of the year. Beyond the Day: The Power of Year-Round Storytelling While Earth Day is an excellent opportunity to spotlight your company's environmental efforts, the true impact lies in consistent, transparent communication about your sustainability strategy. Customers, investors, employees, and partners are increasingly interested in how companies plan, act, and improve over time. To build trust and inspire action, companies should: Share clear targets: What are your goals for emissions reduction, circularity, or biodiversity? Make them specific and time-bound. Report results honestly: Celebrate wins and be candid about setbacks. Progress, not perfection, is the story. Connect efforts to impact: Highlight how your initiatives benefit ecosystems, communities, or supply chains. Leveraging Earth Day as a Strategic Moment Think of Earth Day as a milestone that anchors your broader communications. Some ideas: Launch or preview new initiatives that reinforce your long-term strategy. Tell human stories: Showcase employees, community members, or suppliers contributing to sustainability. Host interactive events: Webinars, volunteer days, or innovation showcases invite people into the journey. Publish a sustainability snapshot: A visual, engaging recap of the past year's progress. Engaging Stakeholders Year-Round To keep the momentum going beyond April: Create a sustainability content calendar to share updates, behind-the-scenes looks, and educational content. Invite feedback: Use surveys or listening sessions to understand stakeholder priorities and ideas. Collaborate: Partner with NGOs, academics, or startups aligned with your mission. Recognize champions: Celebrate employees and partners who go above and beyond. Bringing It Together: A Continuous Narrative Earth Day is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness, but lasting impact comes from building a continuous narrative. At Taiga, we see sustainability not as a series of campaigns but as a shared journey with our stakeholders . When we connect the dots between moments like Earth Day and the year-round work behind the scenes, we not only deepen engagement—we accelerate change. So this Earth Day, let’s celebrate progress and recommit to transparency, collaboration, and bold action. The planet needs more than promises. It needs a plan. And it needs all of us.

Greener Clicks: How to Reduce Your Environmental Impact with Sustainable Digital Marketing

By Julie Starr • March 31, 2025
In the race to decarbonize our world, one area often overlooked is digital marketing. While it might seem inherently clean compared to print or physical campaigns, our online activities have a real and measurable environmental footprint. From servers powering your website to emails filling up inboxes, every click, stream, and scroll contributes to carbon emissions. At Taiga Company, we believe digital strategies can be powerful and low-impact. Here’s how to get started. Optimize for a Low-Carbon Web Why it matters: Websites and digital ads are hosted on servers that consume electricity, often powered by fossil fuels. Every time a user loads your site or ad, it uses energy. How to reduce your impact: Host green: Choose web hosts that use renewable energy or offset emissions. Clean up your code: Streamlined, efficient code reduces load times and energy use. Compress and reduce images: Smaller files mean faster pages and fewer emissions. Limit heavy media: Videos and animations are carbon-intensive; use them mindfully. A faster, leaner website isn’t just better for the planet—it also boosts SEO and user experience. Email Marketing with Intention Why it matters: Every email sent, received, and stored requires energy. Multiply that by millions of sends, and the impact adds up. How to reduce your impact: Clean your lists: Remove inactive subscribers to avoid waste. Segment wisely: Only send emails to those who will truly benefit. Use plain-text when possible: It’s lower in data and often more accessible. Reduce frequency: Send fewer, higher-quality emails with genuine value. Intentional emailing reduces not only emissions but also improves deliverability and engagement. Sustainable SEO and Content Strategy Why it matters: Search engines crawl, index, and serve up billions of web pages daily. Thoughtless content and bloated sites add to the load. How to reduce your impact: Create evergreen content: Focus on high-quality pages that stay relevant longer. Streamline your site structure: Fewer clicks to find content = less energy use. Use minimal plugins and scripts: Especially ones that load on every page. Green your CMS: Some content management systems are more resource-efficient than others. Sustainable SEO isn’t just eco-friendly—it’s good strategy. Fewer, better pieces often perform better than content mills. Rethink Marketing Automation Why it matters: Automated emails, ads, and data syncing can create a lot of digital clutter. That clutter eats up storage and energy. How to reduce your impact: Audit regularly: Retire old workflows and outdated automations. Optimize syncing: Reduce how often and how much data is transferred. Segment with purpose: Better targeting means fewer wasted sends. Use expiration dates: Don’t let outdated content or assets live forever. Efficient automation can reduce emissions and improve performance. Digital marketing isn’t going away—and it shouldn’t. It offers powerful tools for connection, education, and growth. But like all tools, it can be used more sustainably. At Taiga Company, we’re committed to helping organizations lower their environmental impact without sacrificing reach or results. Sustainable digital marketing is not only possible; it’s essential. Ready to make your marketing aligned with your company's corporate sustainability plan? Let’s start the conversation.
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