Stericyle, a sharp-objects waste management service, has awarded Marian Community Hospital the Stericyle Environmental Excellence Award for reaching waste reduction goals and reducing carbon emissions into the environment through participation in the Sharps Management System. Marian Community is the first Lackawanna County hospital to be recognized for this award.
“Marian Community is proud to be among the forerunners of area hospitals embracing this initiative for the betterment of the environment and community,” stated Mary Theresa Vautrinot, president and CEO, Maxis Health System.
According to Stericyle representatives during the presentation at Marian Community Hospital on Wednesday, March 17, the goal of the Sharps Management System is to decrease the use of disposable containers by replacing them with reusable containers for the safe disposal of objects such as needles, syringes and scalpels, thus diverting waste from landfill and/or treatment facilities.
Marian Community Hospital has utilized the Sharps Management System for about a year.
Stericycle officials cited a recent study that found that the American healthcare sector accounts for 8% of the carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. The analysis found that hospitals are by far the largest contributor of carbon emissions in the healthcare sector.
“By switching to a reusable container system, we plan to eliminate over 2,500 sharps containers from going to the landfill each year,” stated Gina Cicio, director of environmental services at Marian Community. “This program is not only good for the environment. It also reduces our disposable costs and allows us to reinvest in more healthcare programs to benefit staff, patients and our community.”
A tool called the Carbon Footprint Estimator2 is designed to help U.S. hospitals determine the amount of plastic and cardboard containers, and resulting CO2 emissions that they would keep out of the environment by switching the facility’s use of disposable sharps containers to reusable containers. In 2009, Stericycle officials said, Marian Community Hospital prevented 3,969 pounds of carbon emissions. Additionally 6,700 pounds of plastic and 492 pounds of cardboard have been diverted from landfills. This total carbon diversion is the equivalent of not burning 204 gallons of gasoline.
Stericycle is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, and serves healthcare facilities nationwide.
Submitted by Marian Community Hospital
|
|
|
Stericyle, a sharp-objects waste management service, has awarded Marian Community Hospital the Stericyle Environmental Excellence Award for reaching waste reduction goals and reducing carbon emissions into the environment through participation in the Sharps Management System. Marian Community is the first Lackawanna County hospital to be recognized for this award.
“Marian Community is proud to be among the forerunners of area hospitals embracing this initiative for the betterment of the environment and community,” stated Mary Theresa Vautrinot, president and CEO, Maxis Health System.
According to Stericyle representatives during the presentation at Marian Community Hospital on Wednesday, March 17, the goal of the Sharps Management System is to decrease the use of disposable containers by replacing them with reusable containers for the safe disposal of objects such as needles, syringes and scalpels, thus diverting waste from landfill and/or treatment facilities.
Marian Community Hospital has utilized the Sharps Management System for about a year.
Stericycle officials cited a recent study that found that the American healthcare sector accounts for 8% of the carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. The analysis found that hospitals are by far the largest contributor of carbon emissions in the healthcare sector.
“By switching to a reusable container system, we plan to eliminate over 2,500 sharps containers from going to the landfill each year,” stated Gina Cicio, director of environmental services at Marian Community. “This program is not only good for the environment. It also reduces our disposable costs and allows us to reinvest in more healthcare programs to benefit staff, patients and our community.”
A tool called the Carbon Footprint Estimator2 is designed to help U.S. hospitals determine the amount of plastic and cardboard containers, and resulting CO2 emissions that they would keep out of the environment by switching the facility’s use of disposable sharps containers to reusable containers. In 2009, Stericycle officials said, Marian Community Hospital prevented 3,969 pounds of carbon emissions. Additionally 6,700 pounds of plastic and 492 pounds of cardboard have been diverted from landfills. This total carbon diversion is the equivalent of not burning 204 gallons of gasoline.
Stericycle is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, and serves healthcare facilities nationwide.
Submitted by Marian Community Hospital
