Towards sustainable health facilities: Developing green, safe, and climate-resilient design principles and practices for DOH hospitals in the Philippines

June Philip Obsania Ruiz

<div style="text-align:justify;"><p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Climate change disrupts the delivery of health care services. Health care facilities are also leading consumers of energy,
with a large environmental footprint that contributes to carbon emissions. Such emissions can be mitigated by using renewable,
sustainable and clean energy. This can also be achieved by using materials that reduce energy consumption. Pursuant to the
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 11285 “Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act,” Section 33
states that all energy users shall use every available energy resource efficiently and promote the development and utilization of new
and alternative energy-efficient technologies and systems, including renewable energy technologies. The Department of Health
(DOH), as the nation’s leader in health, has developed the Green and Safe Healthcare Facility Standards and Guidelines, which serve
as a guide for health facilities in taking appropriate measures to reduce their environmental footprint. This study aims to describe the
process related to the development of standards for a climate-smart health facility and to document the present practices of DOH
hospitals. The principles of the standards are aligned with existing national policies and international standards. Some of the DOH
hospitals implement green measures such as reduction of energy consumption, rainwater harvesting, energy audits, the use of
sustainable materials, handwashing facilities, food safety, green procurement, the use of renewable and clean energies, biophilic
design, and healing gardens. The study recommends that more action be taken by the DOH hospitals to develop green and safe
(climate-smart) health facilities and that they should also include funding for proper implementation.
</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Climate Change, Climate-Smart Health Facilities, Sustainability, Philippines.</p></div>

Valorization of food loss and waste: Sustainability practices to support circular economy

Annisa Dwi Astari and Shabbir H. Gheewala*

<p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Abstract:</strong> One-third of global food that is specifically produced for human consumption is lost and wasted along the food supply
chain. This has become a global issue as its amount is projected to increase following the growth of the world population. FLW
contains valuable components that can be valorized into a range of products for various applications. Managing FLW through
valorization is considered one of the pathways to reduce the burden on the environment and support circularity in food systems.
Thus, the development of innovative methods to capture the FLW value has received much attention. This review aims to provide an
overview of various studies on FLW valorization to date. An attempt has also been made to explore the best practices and challenges
of valorization to support the circular economy. The FLW valorization studies have progressed rapidly, including the innovation to
produce bio-based materials, food ingredients, nutraceutical products, compost, and bioenergy. As combined with an economic
model, the valorization of FLW can also broadly impact the economic and social aspects; thus, contributing to the transition toward
the circular economy. Thereafter, several studies have also addressed challenges to valorizing FLW in the circular model; among
them are the access to FLW availability data, investment, logistics, policy and regulation, and customer acceptance toward secondary
material-based products.
</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Circular economy, food loss, food waste, valorization.</p>