Departments can call mail services for used but serviceable envelopes instead of ordering new.
Low mercury bulbs are generally used. All fluorescent lamps are collected for recycling of mercury, glass, phosphor, and aluminum ends. Over 5 tons were recycled in 2005.
An award-winning program at Strong Memorial Hospital where all unessential mercury use was discontinued. This included mercury blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, feeding tubes, and histopatholgy stains containing mercury.