Hospital to Cut Carbon Footprint

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center aims to prevent thousands of pounds of plastic and cardboard from heading to landfills with a new green initiative.

In early July, the hospital announced a new system of reusable containers for managing its sharps and pharmaceutical waste that hospital officials project will stop 50,314 pounds of plastic and 3,887 pounds of cardboard from being used to manage waste.

John Mursa, the hospital's facilities manager, said the containers can be used 600 times before being disposed.

"This important initiative allows our team to set an example for environmentally-friendly waste management, improves the health of the communities we serve, and helps to achieve a long-term goal of respect for our environment,” Mursa said.

According to a press release, the hospital made the decision in response to a 2009 study by the University of Chicago Hospital that found that the healthcare system is responsible for eight percent of U.S. carbon emissions and that hospitals are the largest contributor to those emissions.

Hospital officials project the new waste management system will prevent 29,854 pounds in CO2 emissions with reusable waste containers.

The hospital press release said the projected CO2 reduction is equivalent to the amount that would be produced by burning 1.537 gallons of gasoline or 565 propane tanks.