UW Health: Demonstrates national leadership in health care sustainability

MADISON, Wis. – UW Health is meeting or exceeding several national benchmarks for health care sustainability.

UW Health created a sustainability program in 2016, and in 2024 identified formal goals and metrics to increase energy efficiency, reduce waste and source materials responsibly by 2040.

These goals include improving energy efficiency by 50% from 2013 measurements, reducing nonmedical waste by 15% from 2023 measurements and sourcing at least 40% of food and beverages from local and sustainable vendors.

Health care is responsible for approximately 10% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, which has a negative impact on community health, according to Dr. Karin Zuegge, anesthesiologist and medical director of sustainability at UW Health.

“As the ones caring for our community’s health, it’s our responsibility to reduce waste and find ways to limit our potential impact on the environment,” she said.

One of the most significant accomplishments has been changes to anesthesia practices, according to Zuegge, who is also an associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Anesthetic agents are greenhouse gases with hundreds to thousands of times the global warming impact compared with carbon dioxide.

“We’ve largely eliminated nitrous oxide, a high‑impact anesthetic gas,” she said. “Along with the other anesthetic gas reductions we’ve made, we’ve cut emissions by well over 80% and also saved the organization about $30,000 every month since 2012.”

In March 2026, UW Health became the first health system in Wisconsin to report the full decommissioning of its bulk nitrous oxide system to Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading sustainable health care organization. 

UW Health has also surpassed national energy benchmarks, exceeding the U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings goal with a 29% reduction in energy use intensity since 2013. Additionally, the 1.1‑megawatt solar canopy at Eastpark Medical Center generates enough energy to support the proton therapy center at the center.

There are also operational improvements across clinical areas that are delivering both environmental and financial benefits. Recycling initiatives and streamlining surgical supply packs to remove rarely used items have diverted more than 18% of solid waste from operating rooms away from landfills, while saving thousands of dollars annually.

Water conservation efforts at UW Health also exceed national standards, with the three Wisconsin-based hospitals averaging less than 20 gallons of water per square foot — among the most efficient in the country and ranking above the Practice Greenhealth 90th percentile.

In 2025, the mail order pharmacy introduced a paper-free option that replaced printed prescription materials with a QR code linking to digital medication information, videos and pharmacy contact details, reducing millions of sheets of paper annually.

For more than a decade, the culinary services and clinical nutrition professionals at UW Health have also been focused on a commitment to offering climate-smart cuisine to support good health and healing for patients, families and guests. They currently source 42% of food and beverages from either local or sustainable vendors.

UW Health was the first health system in the Midwest to sign on to the Coolfood Pledge from the World Resources Institute, promising to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.

These remarkable efforts championed by frontline clinicians and staff throughout the organization have earned UW Health widespread national recognition. In 2025, UW Health received Emerald Awards and Circles of Excellence honors from Practice Greenhealth, placing the health system among the top-performing health care organizations in the country for sustainability. 

The organization has committed to the Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge and is also pursuing The Joint Commission’s Sustainable Health Care Certification.

These efforts reflect a commitment to reducing the impact health care has on the environment, according to Zuegge. 

“The work is far from finished,” she said. “Together, these efforts position UW Health as a model for how health systems can advance sustainability while delivering exceptional patient care.”