Hospitals are a major source of waste and energy consumption, second only to the food industry in the amount of waste produced every year. A newly released study is showing hospitals how to reduce waste, save money and maintain quality care. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified strategies for more environmentally friendly practices in hospitals and operating rooms that can help reduce health care costs. The study says hospitals produce more than 4 billion pounds of waste a year including opened sterilized equipment that is never used, energy-sucking overhead lights and red bags that are labeled as medical waste with harmless trash that could be disposed of more cheaply. Researchers say the volume of waste could be reduced by 30 percent just by properly separating waste. The research team also suggests making operating rooms greener by recycling single-use medical devices, managing energy use and controlling pharmacy waste. Researchers say none of the waste reduction techniques compromise patient safety and can help hospitals go green in a more cost-conscious medical climate.