Sustainability

Action on sustainability

As part of our sustainability program, BlueCare is working to reduce environmental impacts. Recent examples include.

• Commenced a major roll-out of rooftop solar in May 2022, with 2.4 megawatts being installed across 19 BlueCare aged care facilities.
• Completed a two-year climate change adaptation research project, funded by the Qld Department of Environment and Science, and delivered in partnership with the University of Sunshine Coast and Griffith University. This project delivered a model aged care facility Heat Mitigation Adaptation Plan and supporting toolkit on ‘green infrastructure’ — like trees, water features and shade sails — and its impact on residents’ health and wellbeing during extreme heat events.
• Digitised BlueCare’s new employee starter pack, avoiding approximately 90,000 sheets of printed paper per year.
• Added 152 new hybrid and 8 electric vehicles (replacing internal combustion engine vehicles), which now make up 67% of our passenger fleet.
• Hospitals and BlueCare sites transitioned from liquid to solid detergent, targeting a reduction of 714kg plastic packaging waste per year.
• Concluded a heatwave community outreach project, which was funded by the Department of Environment and Science to reduce health impacts of heatwaves for elderly community members. The project delivered new industry resources including: Expanded Environment and Emergency Response Checklist; Heat Preparedness & Response Plan; Heat health e-learning module; Heat health resource and communications package.