Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe represents the voice of healthcare professionals in the European political debate on key themes of sustainable development: chemicals, pharmaceuticals, climate and health, green purchasing, waste and sustainable food.
HCWH Europe presents European politicians with examples of best practice in the healthcare sector on these topics to influence political debates and advance the practice of health professionals. HCWH Europe informs its members (European hospitals, local authorities, and environmental and health organisations) about environmental issues through the organisation of workshops and webinars dedicated to the presentation and dissemination of best practices. HCWH Europe invites its members, including CH Niort, to participate in European and international conferences organised by the organisation and to participate in working groups, meetings, and exchanges between different European hospitals.
Through its Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) network, HCWH engages its members and partners globally to work on ten specific themes of sustainable development and to achieve environmental goals.
The Hospital Centre (CH) of Niort is the reference hospital for the southern part of the of Deux-Sèvres region. The hospital serves 120,000 inhabitants, and is located in the region’s capital city – Niort, a city of 60,000 inhabitants.
The city of Niort is already engaged in sustainable development initiatives, and the hospital centre is part of the partnership committee that brings together communities and companies working on sustainable development.
Located on the edge of the Marais Poitevin marshland (also known as the ‘Green Venice’), environmental preservation, personal wellbeing, and economic development are important to the city and the hospital, as are, agriculture and the circular economy.
In Niort, a social economy and solidarity institute organises meetings around circular economy between communities, associations, and businesses – where several themes are discussed, such as joint purchasing, shared storage, and waste.
CH Niort produces more than 900,000 meals a year for its patients, visitors and employees; the production of these meals leads to food waste. In compliance with the law, the hospital centre is already sorting its waste, including composting and methanisation of its fermentable waste.
As part of the MECAHF Project the hospital will work towards reducing food waste and evaluate how the savings can be reinjected into the local economy through the purchase of local products or organic products.