It is useful to have policies in place to eliminate certain toxic products or materials from health care facilities, so that everyone is working under the same definition of what should and should not be purchased.

In the U.S., healthcare facilities across the country have already implemented a variety of purchasing policies and guidance aimed at reducing healthcare's environmental impact and increasing patient and worker safety. Below are some sample procurement policies and guidance statements after which your facility can model its own.

• Sample Mercury-Free Purchasing Policy (pdf)
• Sample Policy on Purchasing Recycled Content or Recyclable Products (pdf)
• Sample Policy for Purchasing Reusable Products (pdf)
• Sample Policy for Purchasing Food with Reduced Antibiotics (pdf)