Waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the US: Potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions.

This study measured the total quantity and composition of waste generated in a large, New York City (NYC) hospital kitchen over a one-day period to assess the impact of potential waste diversion strategies in potential weight of waste diverted from landfill and reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emis...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cassandra L Thiel, SiWoon Park, Aviva A Musicus, Jenna Agins, Jocelyn Gan, Jeffrey Held, Amy Horrocks, Marie A Bragg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247616&type=printable
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850240374972350464
author Cassandra L Thiel
SiWoon Park
Aviva A Musicus
Jenna Agins
Jocelyn Gan
Jeffrey Held
Amy Horrocks
Marie A Bragg
author_facet Cassandra L Thiel
SiWoon Park
Aviva A Musicus
Jenna Agins
Jocelyn Gan
Jeffrey Held
Amy Horrocks
Marie A Bragg
author_sort Cassandra L Thiel
collection DOAJ
description This study measured the total quantity and composition of waste generated in a large, New York City (NYC) hospital kitchen over a one-day period to assess the impact of potential waste diversion strategies in potential weight of waste diverted from landfill and reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. During the one-day audit, the hospital kitchen generated 1515.15 kg (1.7 US tons) of solid waste daily or 0.23 kg of total waste per meal served. Extrapolating to all meals served in 2019, the hospital kitchen generates over 442,067 kg (487 US tons) of waste and emits approximately 294,466 kg of CO2e annually from waste disposal. Most of this waste (85%, 376,247 kg or 415 US tons annually) is currently sent to landfill. With feasible changes, including increased recycling and moderate composting, this hospital could reduce landfilled waste by 205,245 kg (226 US tons, or 55% reduction) and reduce GHG emissions by 189,025 kg CO2e (64% reduction). Given NYC's ambitious waste and GHG emission reduction targets outlined in its OneNYC strategic plan, studies analyzing composition, emissions, and waste diversion potential of large institutions can be valuable in achieving city sustainability goals.
format Article
id doaj-art-4abd080ee92b4fd8b6c86d406bd7782b
institution OA Journals
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-4abd080ee92b4fd8b6c86d406bd7782b2025-08-20T02:00:52ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01163e024761610.1371/journal.pone.0247616Waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the US: Potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions.Cassandra L ThielSiWoon ParkAviva A MusicusJenna AginsJocelyn GanJeffrey HeldAmy HorrocksMarie A BraggThis study measured the total quantity and composition of waste generated in a large, New York City (NYC) hospital kitchen over a one-day period to assess the impact of potential waste diversion strategies in potential weight of waste diverted from landfill and reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. During the one-day audit, the hospital kitchen generated 1515.15 kg (1.7 US tons) of solid waste daily or 0.23 kg of total waste per meal served. Extrapolating to all meals served in 2019, the hospital kitchen generates over 442,067 kg (487 US tons) of waste and emits approximately 294,466 kg of CO2e annually from waste disposal. Most of this waste (85%, 376,247 kg or 415 US tons annually) is currently sent to landfill. With feasible changes, including increased recycling and moderate composting, this hospital could reduce landfilled waste by 205,245 kg (226 US tons, or 55% reduction) and reduce GHG emissions by 189,025 kg CO2e (64% reduction). Given NYC's ambitious waste and GHG emission reduction targets outlined in its OneNYC strategic plan, studies analyzing composition, emissions, and waste diversion potential of large institutions can be valuable in achieving city sustainability goals.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247616&type=printable
spellingShingle Cassandra L Thiel
SiWoon Park
Aviva A Musicus
Jenna Agins
Jocelyn Gan
Jeffrey Held
Amy Horrocks
Marie A Bragg
Waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the US: Potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions.
PLoS ONE
title Waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the US: Potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions.
title_full Waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the US: Potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions.
title_fullStr Waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the US: Potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions.
title_full_unstemmed Waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the US: Potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions.
title_short Waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the US: Potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions.
title_sort waste generation and carbon emissions of a hospital kitchen in the us potential for waste diversion and carbon reductions
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247616&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT cassandralthiel wastegenerationandcarbonemissionsofahospitalkitchenintheuspotentialforwastediversionandcarbonreductions
AT siwoonpark wastegenerationandcarbonemissionsofahospitalkitchenintheuspotentialforwastediversionandcarbonreductions
AT avivaamusicus wastegenerationandcarbonemissionsofahospitalkitchenintheuspotentialforwastediversionandcarbonreductions
AT jennaagins wastegenerationandcarbonemissionsofahospitalkitchenintheuspotentialforwastediversionandcarbonreductions
AT jocelyngan wastegenerationandcarbonemissionsofahospitalkitchenintheuspotentialforwastediversionandcarbonreductions
AT jeffreyheld wastegenerationandcarbonemissionsofahospitalkitchenintheuspotentialforwastediversionandcarbonreductions
AT amyhorrocks wastegenerationandcarbonemissionsofahospitalkitchenintheuspotentialforwastediversionandcarbonreductions
AT marieabragg wastegenerationandcarbonemissionsofahospitalkitchenintheuspotentialforwastediversionandcarbonreductions