SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT

Sustainability You Can See:

What Patients Experience During a Stay at UPMC

July 2026

UPMC provides patients with compassionate high-quality care. What patients may not realize is that along with the world-class care, UPMC also prioritizes sustainable practices at every step of a patient’s stay. These practices can be seen in the sustainable landscaping around the hospital campus and in the operating rooms to the reusable supplies such as blood pressure cuffs used in an appointment and the food practices that reduce landfill waste. With the U.S. health care sector contributing roughly 8% of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, UPMC's Center for Sustainability has made it a priority to ensure that protecting patient health and protecting the planet go hand in hand. While every hospital at UPMC has specialized programs, here is a look at the sustainability touchpoints patients could see throughout the system.

UPMC believes that the spaces around a patient matter as much as the care delivered within them. Greenspaces and gardens can be found throughout UPMC hospitals to provide a place for patients and families to connect with nature during their hospital visit. 

As part of the new Daniel G and Carole L Kamin Tower at UPMC Presbyterian, three outdoor green spaces are being designed with trees, pathways, and natural elements to create restorative, park-like environments for patients, families, and staff. Research consistently shows that time spent in nature reduces stress, improves mood, and supports better patient outcomes. 

Additionally, patients may notice native plants, butterfly gardens, and pollinator-friendly landscaping across UPMC campuses. UPMC Magee-Women’s, UPMC Memorial in York, and UPMC Shadyside hospitals even host on-site beehives that produce local honey, and southwest PA groundskeepers are accredited through Phipps Conservatory to use compost and native species that require less water and no harmful chemicals.

Patients can expect to see more reusable, patient-specific equipment at the bedside. UPMC’s Radiology departments across the hospital system have been transitioning to reusable blood pressure cuffs, cutting single-use cuff ordering by 40% to 100%. 

Patients undergoing surgery directly benefit from sustainability measures seen throughout the operating room. One of UPMC's most impactful clinical sustainability wins is systemwide elimination of desflurane, an anesthetic gas with a global warming potential 3,700 times greater than carbon dioxide. The move away from desflurane also improves patient care, switching to anesthetic gases that are easier for the body to handle. Eleven UPMC hospitals are piloting the use of small e-cylinders in place of piped nitrous oxide, dramatically reducing anesthetic gas waste without compromising patient care.

Behind the scenes in UPMC's operating rooms, a new reprocessing program is turning what was once single-use waste into another chance to deliver safe, high-quality care. Through this partnership, devices such as manifolds are collected after use, then cleaned, inspected, tested, and restored to their original quality, functionality, and sterility under strict FDA standards before being returned to UPMC shelves. In 2025 alone, UPMC collected more than 435,000 devices for reprocessing, diverting over 51,000 pounds of waste from landfills, offsetting roughly 96 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Food is one of the most visible ways patients experience UPMC's sustainability commitment. UPMC’s southwest PA hospitals are committed to the Cool Food Pledge which aims to reduce emissions due to food purchasing by 50% by 2030. This can be done through reducing red meat purchasing and standardized menus across the system to reduce food waste. 

UPMC is also committed to donating surplus food back into the communities we serve. Since 2022, more than 214,000 pounds of food has been redirected from landfills to community tables through organizations such as 412 Food Rescue and Pitt’s Food Rescue Heroes. For patients facing food insecurity, the impact extends beyond discharge. Hospitals including UPMC Mercy, UPMC Presbyterian, and UPMC Shadyside began a pilot program in 2025 that provides food-insecure patients with take-home meals when they leave the hospital — offering peace of mind while preventing food waste.

Sustainability at UPMC isn't a separate program — it's built into the patient experience. From the green spaces outside the window, clinical improvements for patient safety and the environment, and food surplus diversion, every choice reflects UPMC's commitment to caring for people, communities, and the planet. As the Center for Sustainability continues to expand these initiatives across the system, patients can expect to see even more visible signs of UPMC's commitment to healthier care for a healthier future.