This #PlasticFreeJuly, Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) officially launched its Single-Use Plastic-Free Hospital campaign, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable waste management.
The Philippine Healthcare and Mercury Wastes Management (HCWM) Project supports QMMC’s policy on waste minimization and plastic waste reduction. Together with Nurse Susie, the project’s official mascot, the initiative promotes proper healthcare waste management, reduces reliance on single-use plastics, and encourages the adoption of safe, reusable alternatives in healthcare facilities.
In September 2025, the HCWM Project conducted a comprehensive waste audit at QMMC. The audit revealed that 84% of the hospital’s total waste volume is plastic. The infectious waste stream, largely driven by disposable personal protective equipment (PPE), medical packaging, and patient-care items, is the biggest contributor, accounting for 64% of the hospital’s total plastic waste. General waste also contained significant amounts of plastic from foodware and administrative activities.
These findings underscored the urgent need for hospital-wide policy reforms, waste reduction measures, and reuse initiatives. In response, QMMC is advancing sustainable healthcare waste management by strengthening its Zero Waste Systems and implementing a No Single-Use Plastic Policy. As part of the QMMC’s strategic planning led by the HCWM Project, the hospital is working to reduce plastic waste while further improving its healthcare waste management system.
Effective July 20, the following items are no longer allowed inside the QMMC facility:
- Plastic cups and plastic bottles
- Plastic utensils and plastic straws
- Plastic carry-out bags
- Paper cups and paper plates
- Styrofoam food containers and packaging
- Food deliveries in single-use plastic packaging
- Tarpaulin banners
Beginning January 1, 2027, paper cups and paper plates with plastic lining or coating will also be prohibited.
QMMC encourages employees, patients, clients, visitors, and partners to bring reusable items such as eco-bags, tumblers, food containers, and reusable cutlery. Food concessionaires and vendors are likewise prohibited from providing single-use plastics within the hospital.
Healthcare waste management is a shared responsibility. By working together to reduce single-use plastics and embrace reusable alternatives, we can create a healthier environment and contribute to a toxics-free, waste-free future.
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𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘖𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘜𝘕𝘐𝘋𝘖) 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘶 (𝘌𝘔𝘉) 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 (𝘋𝘌𝘕𝘙), 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘊𝘞𝘔 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘻𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 (𝘎𝘌𝘍) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘕𝘎𝘖 𝘉𝘈𝘕 𝘛𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤𝘴.