UW Medical Center receives prestigious environmental award

The UW Medical Center (UWMC) was recognized for its efforts to lower the environmental implications associated with the medical profession when it received the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) Environmental Leadership Award early this month, making it the first hospital in Washington to receive such an honor.

"Recipients [of the award] are distinguished by their embrace of safer building products and working practices, clean air, reduced toxins, energy and water efficiency and reductions in waste volume and toxicity," according to the H2E's Environmental Leadership Circle.

This award is the highest award given to health care facilities for outstanding environmental performance, said Tim Nguyen, program operations manager for the UWMC's Environmental Services and Waste Management.

The UWMC has made three, major changes, including water reduction at the UW consolidated laundry, energy conservation and the reduction of ethylene oxide gas (EtO). For Nguyen, however, the most important change is source separation.

"All the staff are trained and cooperate with putting the correct items in the correct waste stream," he said. "Much like we do at home but on a much larger, comprehensive scale."

The award is not given out easily, and the UWMC has made environmental strides within the facility.

In just four years, the recycling alone from the medical center has gone up a total of 51 percent, from 324 tons to 667 tons.

"We want to spread the message. ... it's all about saving the environment, and that's what we do," Nguyen said.

According to the UWMC Waste Management Recycling Program, the medical center avoided $78,718.98 in landfill costs and received a rebate of $32,261.

"Thanks to the cooperation and support of all UWMC staff, waste stream reductions and recycling programs have been [a] tremendous success," according to statistics of the UWMC waste management recycling program compiled by Gary Butrymowicz, director of Environmental Services and Waste Management.

This is not the first environmental award that the UWMC has received.

The medical center has also received the Making Medicine Mercury Free Award, as well as a Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices in 2005.

"We are proud to receive this award, and we will continue to work toward our environmental goals of the future," Nguyen said. "[We want to] create partnerships at all levels within and outside the university that further the practice of environmental stewardship and sustainability."

Reach reporter Celia Hunko at news@thedaily.washington.edu.