Show your commitment to preserving our environment
A message from Tony Denton, Chief Operating Officer, UMHHC
The 42nd Earth Day on April 22, 2012, is a reminder that we must protect our planet in order to preserve it for generations to come.
At the U-M Health System, we continually strive to support our University’s Sustainable Initiatives through the practice of environmentally responsible behaviors, programs and resources.
Since 2005, the Health System has improved its energy efficiency by 20 percent. In 2011 alone, 15 energy conservation projects were completed that are expected to save UMHS $528,000 annually. In 2011, 3.8 million pounds of trash were diverted from the landfill and recycled–close to a quarter of our total waste stream.
In the past year, we have increased our cardboard recycling by 25%, plastics by 75%, batteries by 39% and electronic recycling by 41%.
Because of our organizational efforts, as well as our community of dedicated faculty and staff, UMHS has been and continues to receive the highest environmental honors from Practice Greenhealth. Just yesterday, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital earned an award for its environmentally-friendly design.
From beverage container and writing utensil recycling to energy conservation and lab sustainability, there are many initiatives the Health System has established to help employees and visitors reduce their environmental footprint in our community.
This week, UMHHC rolled out a marketing campaign to raise awareness of and reduce paper usage throughout the hospitals and health centers. Visit http://www.med.umich.edu/envsteward/print.htm for more information on the Think Before you Print initiative.
For additional resources and information on how you can do your part for the environment, visit the Environmental Stewardship website.
Thank you for supporting our ongoing efforts that make us an environmentally responsible organization.
Go Blue-
Tony
