The LHSC Green Team is proud to announce a major milestone: our Second Chance Supplies program has officially surpassed 1,000 kilograms of donated medical supplies!
What began as a pilot to address concerns from staff about medical supplies going to waste has grown into a hospital-wide sustainability success story. Thanks to your efforts, we’ve redirected supplies that would otherwise end up in landfill, including venipuncture kits, wound dressings, and infant diapers, toward communities around the world where they are urgently needed.
Since its official launch in late 2024, Second Chance Supplies has partnered with organizations like Not Just Tourists, Together for Cuba, Collaboration Sante International, Cuba Outreach Ministry, and Another Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation to help the collected items find a second life improving patient care or supporting frontline responders.
The impact of those 1,000 kilograms has already been felt across continents.
- In Cuba, donated supplies have supported rural clinics where doctors often work with limited resources.
- In Togo, Africa, Christine Penny, an LHSC Anesthesia Assistant and ABWE volunteer, took essential medical supplies, helping them deliver frontline care in underserved hospitals.
- Closer to home, organizations like Another Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation in St. Thomas have received items like gloves, syringes, Lactated Ringer, and absorbent pads to help care for injured and orphaned animals.
“We’re saving lives and, in some cases, saving wildlife, by simply rethinking what we do with our typically discarded resources,” says Mike Apostol, Energy Management Specialist and Green Team Lead. “It’s sustainability with a heartbeat.”
Beyond the global reach, the program has had powerful effects here at LHSC. Waste audits of the collected supplies are helping departments identify opportunities to reduce overstocking, saving both resources and costs. Staff have also shared that seeing their unused supplies benefit others helps relieve the frustration of daily waste.
This milestone is a direct result of the commitment and care shown by teams across the hospital. Each syringe, roll of tape, or package of gauze placed in a Second Chance Supplies bin is adding up to make a difference around the globe.
As we celebrate this achievement, we encourage more departments to join us. To get involved reach out to LHSCGreenTeam@lhsc.on.ca.
Together, we’re proving that sustainability and compassion go hand in hand. Thank you for helping LHSC lead the way in planetary health and global solidarity.
