By Sam Pender
This week is Waste Reduction Week and Women’s College Hospital’s (WCH) Environmental Services (EVS) department is continuing to prioritize waste reduction at the hospital with the rollout of a new Office Cleaning Program. Part of this program is getting all WCH staff and physicians involved in keeping work areas clean.
EVS staff will continue to clean offices once a week, which includes the cleaning of high-touch points, floors, carpets and cleared surfaces. Staff who use these offices will be tasked with cleaning their own computers, keyboards, phones and other devices on their desks, as well as with proper disposal of office waste and recycling in hallway or kitchenette garbage and recycling containers.
Education on proper waste streams – what type of waste goes into which container – will be provided for staff upon the rollout of the new program early next year.
In anticipation of this new waste reduction program, WCH staff, physicians and patients can still play a role in reducing waste. Here are some tips:
- Use reusable bottles for water, coffee, tea, juice, or other drinks (most washrooms and kitchenettes have water filter stations).
- Don’t hoard – submit requests to EVS to discard of large items.
- Reuse office furniture in various spaces – furniture move requests are completed twice a month and costs are shared between departments requesting the move.
- Bring your lunch in reusable containers and dispose of leftovers in the proper waste streams.
- Familiarize yourself with proper waste streams. Please dispose of garbage, recycling and organics in the proper receptacles (food waste does not belong in recycling, but should go in garbage waste and recyclable containers/boxes go in recycling bins).
For WCH retailers looking to help reduce waste, remember that waste carts must be sorted into the correct waste streams:
- Mixed Recycling (Green bins): Open all bags and empty contents into the bins. Empty bags are disposed with Regular Waste.
- Cardboard: Break down and flatten cardboard only and leave at the side/next to the bailer.
- Organics (Black bins): Ensure bags are tied and not leaking. Reinforce with more bags if needed. Place bags into the bins.
- Grease (Bin inside holding room): Pour grease into bin and leave empty bucket next to Mixed Recycling green bin.
- Regular Waste: Ensure bags are tied and not leaking. Open gate to compactor area and dispose bags into compactor. Close gate securely.