I, Caleb Richardson, am starting a grievance and forming a petition towards hospitals, medical facilities, and civil locations, like Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This petition is aiming to reduce what we have deemed as “waste” and pollution. We, the people signing, myself included since I was recently admitted as a patient, abuse, destroy, misplace, misuse, overstock, pollute, and “waste” resources and materials, and undervalue some of the things we have access to, like sanitary environmental conditions and products.

I propose that supplies and materials be given out to those in poverty who can now access basic human needs otherwise inaccessible to them. I propose that unusable byproduct be placed in its own bin, while “wasted” and past freshness date products be placed in separate bins according to their content: breads and grains, canned and jarred items, dairy, fruits and vegetables, dehydrated and otherwise still edible meats, nuts, non-perishables and other miscellaneous usable products that are being deemed as “waste” and thrown out. The same goes for the amount of linens and paper hospital gowns that are just received, used, and disregarded sometimes after barely being used or worn. I also propose medical facilities give out and stop ordering most plastic and Styrofoam products and replace them with paper or other biodegradable and hopefully already once recycled products. I was forced to wear paper material that would constantly tear and be needing changed. Soiled products should be cleaned as thoroughly and often as needed and reused to their fullest extent or recycled. This is in hopes to lessen the need for non-decomposable products.

I would like to see this happen as soon as possible but I know that it will take time and patience, which are also resources we’re running out of. I propose this change to be implemented no later than January 1st 2021. I believe staff should be given complimentary travel mugs to help show that the facility cares and is aiming to reduce its carbon footprint. I don’t speak for everyone, but I speak as someone who notice their house is on fire, hears the smoke detector, feels the heat of the flames and yet is unable to move to another house because there is only one: Earth! I am hoping that many others will join me and we can start peaceful movement. After it has been implemented, we can then focus more on saving the big, blue-green living planet we inhabit and call our “home.”