Hospital launches environmental program

In an effort to reduce its impact on the environment, KentuckyOne Health has adopted a new program at Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital that includes composting and recycling.

A press release from KentuckyOne Health said that its “Working Green Living Green” initiative  aims to improve the health of the community and save money.
KentuckyOne Health estimates that nearly $500,000 could be saved if its facilities in Louisville divert 35 percent of landfill waste into recycling and composting, the press release said.

“Not only does it make good business sense, this work aligns with our mission of building a healthier community,” said Alice Bridges in the release. Bridges is the vice president of healthy communities for KentuckyOne Health. “Approximately 75 percent of all health care costs are for the treatment of chronic diseases so by addressing the root causes, we can play a crucial role in reducing the burden of chronic disease.”

Sts. Mary & Elizabeth began composting in May and diverted about 1.5 tons of food waste from the landfill to composting in its first four weeks, the release said.

The recycling program began in June. And this month, the hospital will begin to recycle specialty waste materials, such as disposable surgical drapes and IV bags, the release said.

The Sts. Mary & Elizabeth program will serve as a model for KentuckyOne Health’s other facilities in the commonwealth.

Mayor Greg Fischer said in the release that the initiative supports the city’s sustainablility goals, which aims to increase city-wide recycling by 25 percent in the next two years. The goals also include diverting half of all the city’s solid waste from the landfill by 2025.

“We are delighted to see KentuckyOne Health’s leadership around recycling and food composting across their healthcare system,” said the mayor in the release.

“This type of effort supports our city recycling goals and will help improve our environment for the long term.”

The Record
Written By
The Record
More from The Record
El Retiro para Quinceañeras tendrá lugar el 14 de febrero
El “Retiro para Quinceañeras” ofrecido por la Oficina del Ministerio Multicultural, Ministerio...
Read More
0 replies on “Hospital launches environmental program”