Pilot recycling program begins at Children’s & Women’s, MCI
The initiative is a pilot program that if successful is planned for implementation throughout the health system.
In an effort to reduce waste, USA Health has begun collecting plastic bottles and aluminum cans at 26 recycling sites at Children’s & Women’s Hospital and at five locations at the Mitchell Cancer Institute.
Environmental Services will collect the items every two weeks and transport them to a local recycling company. The initiative is a pilot program that if successful is planned for implementation throughout the health system, said Rosemary White, director of USA Health Environmental Services.
“We are excited about this feasibility study,” White said. “We hope after completing the trial to expand recycling to all of USA Health.”
The new collection sites feature blue recycle bins for the disposal of bottles and cans. White emphasized that the cans and bottles must be emptied prior to disposal and that no garbage or food waste be discarded into the bins.
This initiative builds upon an USA Health’s existing recycling program that collects a variety of materials including cardboard boxes, scrap metal, paper and computer parts, White said.
Collection sites are located in these areas at Children’s & Women’s Hospital:
- Administration
- CWEB 1 offices (4 containers)
- Doctors’ lounge
- EVS break room
- Facilities management (two containers)
- Fourth-floor staff lounge
- Lab (three containers)
- Labor and delivery
- Linen room
- Pediatric emergency room
- Pharmacy (four containers)
- PICU (two containers)
- Radiology
- Second-floor staff lounge
- Shipping, purchasing and distribution
- Third-floor staff lounge
Collection sites at the Mitchell Cancer Institute are located in these areas:
- Administration
- Employee lunch area
- Oncology clinic
- Radiation therapy
- Research
