Did you know that Holland Bloorview has a 114,000-litre rainwater reservoir that is used to water its green spaces, and that we collected 14 kg of waste during our Earth Week clean up?

These are just two of the many highlights included in Holland Bloorview’s 2024-25 Environmental Sustainability Impact Report (PDF). This inaugural report provides a overview of how its  Environmental Sustainability Task Force (ESTF)  is guiding our efforts towards a cleaner, greener hospital.

Formed in April 2024, the ESTF is a diverse team of Holland Bloorview staff and family leader volunteers committed to integrating sustainability across all aspects of the hospital.

To fulfill this goal, the task force aims to build a culture of environmental awareness by engaging the Holland Bloorview community to collectively contribute to positive change for the planet.

ESTF initiatives include implementing green solutions to meet the hospital’s sustainability targets, as well as hosting interactive events inspiring people to take action.

“Environmental sustainability is not an add-on to our work – it’s integral to how we care, how we operate and how we plan for the future,” says Stewart Wong, vice president, communications, strategy and sustainability, and co-chair of the ESTF. “Together we are elevating Holland Bloorview’s accountability to planetary health.”

Key initiatives highlighted in the report include:

Environmentally sustainable operations

Holland Bloorview made operational improvements aimed at reducing waste at the source through initiatives like a glove-use reduction program, adding reusable plates to the cafeteria  and making LED lighting upgrades.

Earth Week 2025

From April 21-25 this year, over 150 people at Holland Bloorview participated in Earth Week activities  including a recycling workshop, scavenger hunt and sustainability pledge wall.

Framework for measuring progress

A survey was introduced to gauge staff sentiment, with 89 per cent of respondents ranking sustainability as being “very important” and 77 per cent also expressing interest in learning more about sustainable practices at work.

Holland Bloorview’s 2024-2029 Energy Conservation and Demand Management (ECDM) Plan outlined key targets including a 20 per cent reduction in electricity consumption and a 14 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Learn more about environmental sustainability at Holland Bloorview

Read a digital copy of the Environmental Sustainability Impact Report here (PDF).

Our commitment to embedding sustainability across our hospital serves as a lens for achieving the goals of our Holland Bloorview 2030: Transformative Care, Inclusive World strategic plan.

As we continue on this journey together, we encourage everyone at Holland Bloorview to make everyday sustainable choices that contribute to a healthier, greener planet for all.

By William Lam