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Reducing PVC

Health Care Institutions Undertaking Efforts to Reduce PVC and DEHP
Tools and Alternatives
Case Studies
Resolutions and Shareholder MOUs: PVC, Dioxin, Medical Waste Incineration 
Recent News, Emerging Science, and Press Releases on PVC & Phthalates 

PVC is the most widely used plastic in medical products, accounting for 27% of all disposable plastic medical products. One of the first steps to eliminate PVC from healthcare facilities is to identify which products contain it. See HCWH's PVC/DEHP Audit Tool (pdf) for help.

Tools and Alternatives

List of PVC-free Alternative Medical Devices (pdf), Going Green Factsheet 3-5
Reducing PVC Use in Hospitals (pdf), Going Green Factsheet 3-4
PVC Medical Devices Containing DEHP: Guidelines for an Audit (pdf), Going Green Factsheet 3-13
Alternatives to Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Building Materials for the NICU (pdf) Going Green Factsheet 3-22
Alternatives to Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) in Office Supplies (pdf), Going Green Factsheet 3-14
Implementing the FDA's Public Health Notification on PVC Devices Containing DEHP (pdf), Going Green Factsheet 3-12
DEHP Risk Minimization Strategy (pdf), Going Green Factsheet 3-18 (Also available in French, German, and Czech)

Case Studies

HCWH has been working with health care facilities to phase out the use of PVC. Developing case studies is one important way we can showcase these efforts for other healthcare facilities, and develop models by which they too can eliminate PVC and DEHP.

 Karolinska Hospital documents eight-year PVC phase out project (pdf)
 PVC and DEHP in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Kaiser Permanente  (pdf)
 Attaining 100% DEHP Elimination in IV Bags, Miller Children's Hospital (pdf)
 Lucille Packard NICU Makes Major Strides to Remove DEHP and Saves $200,000 by Switching to Custom-made DEHP-free IV Product (pdf)
 Evergreen Hospital NICU Strives to Become DEHP- and PVC-free (pdf)
 Six Months After FDA Warnings About DEHP, John Muir Medical Center is Proudly DEHP-free (pdf)
 Sweden NICUs phase out PVC/DEHP feeding tubes 11/9/04
 Prague hospital eliminates PVC IV bags  11/20/03
 Glanzing clinic in Vienna is first PVC-free pediatric unit worldwide 6/13/03

Resolutions and Shareholder MOUs on PVC, DEHP, Dioxin, Medical Waste Incineration

Date Organization Resolution
October, 2003 City of Boston Resolution (pdf) on dioxin
February, 2003 Abbott Laboratories Global Citizenship Report (pdf) makes the commitment to moving toward PVC and DEHP free alternatives (see p. 43 of document)
July, 2002 City of Seattle Resolution (pdf) on persistent bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs)
December, 2001 Massachusetts Medical Society Resolution (pdf) on Medical Waste Incineration, PVC, Mercury
December, 2001 American Medical Association Resolution (pdf): DEHP Use in Neonatal Intensive Care Units
November, 2001 California Association of Neonatologists Statement (pdf) on PVC and DEHP Use in the Care of Neonates
October, 2001 Chicago Medical Society Resolution on DEHP in NICUs
June, 2001 American Nurses Association Resolution (pdf): Nurses Role in Product Selection for Patient and Environmental Advocacy
March, 2001 California Medical Association Resolution (pdf): DEHP Use in Neonatal Intensive Care Units
October, 2000 City of Berkeley Resolution (pdf): Establishing October as "Stop Cancer Where it Starts" Month
May, 2000 United Methodist Church Resolution (pdf): One Step for a Dioxin Free Future
March, 2000 California Medical Association Resolution (pdf): Dioxins and Medical Waste Incineration
March, 2000 Illinois State Medical Society Resolution: Dioxin and Medical Waste Incineration
March, 2000 Illinois State Medical Society Resolution (pdf): PVC Plastic Use by Health Care Facilities
December, 1999 Minnesota Health and Housing Alliance Resolution (pdf) on PVC Purchasing Policy
December, 1999 Marin County Board of Supervisors Resolution (pdf) on PVC and Dioxin
November, 1999 American Medical Women's Association Resolution (pdf): Dioxins and Medical Waste Incineration
October, 1999 International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE) Resolution (pdf) on PVC Use in Medical Devices
September, 1999 Association of Bay Area Governments Resolution Supporting Efforts to Understand, Manage and Reduce Dioxin Compounds in San Francisco Bay
July, 1999 Tenet Healthcare Corporation Letter Agreement (pdf) Concerning Shareholder Proposal on PVC and Phthalates
April, 1999 Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Resolution (pdf): Medical Products Containing PVC Plastic
April, 1999 Catholic Health Association of Minnesota Resolution (pdf) on PVC
April, 1999 Universal Health Services Statement (pdf) on PVC Use
April, 1999 Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Resolution (pdf) on Health Care Without Harm: Reducing Pollution from Medical Waste
March, 1999 City and County of San Francisco Commission on the Environment Resolution (pdf): Establishing Dioxin Pollution As A High Priority For Immediate Action
March, 1999 Baxter International MOU (pdf) on PVC
February, 1999 Oakland City Council Resolution (pdf) Establishing a Task Force and Policy on Dioxin, Public Health and the Environment
1999 Minnesota Public Health Association Resolution (pdf) on a PVC Purchasing Policy
October, 1998 City of Berkeley Resolution (pdf): Dioxin, PVC, Public Health and the Environment
October, 1998 Minnesota Medical Association Resolution (pdf) on Dioxins
September, 1998 City and County of San Francisco Resolution: Dioxin, Public Health and the Environment
June, 1998 County of Santa Clara Office of the Board of Supervisors Resolution on PVC, Dioxin
February, 1998 California Medical Association Resolution (pdf): PVC Plastic Use by Health Care Facilities
1998 Chicago Medical Society Resolution (pdf): PVC Plastic Use by Health Care Facilities
1998 International Council of Nurses Position: Medical Waste, Role of Nurses and Nursing
1997 American Nurses Association Resolution (pdf): Reduction of Health Care Production of Toxic Pollution
November, 1996 American Public Health Association Resolution (pdf): Prevention of Dioxin Generation from PVC Plastic
October, 1996 Church of the Brethren General Board Resolution on PVC, Dioxin
April, 1996 United Methodist Church Resolution on PVC, Dioxin, Incineration

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