Waste Management & Source Reduction
GOAL: 50% diversion rate by 2030
Goal Update
System-Wide Baseline (2020): 16.6%
Current (Q2 2023): 15.8%
Goal: 50%
Diversion rate is the percentage of materials not going to the landfill
Recent Successes
Expanded Recycling
Recycling streams have been extended to most clinics across the system and Methodist Fremont Health. To learn more about what’s recyclable, visit the Sustainability page on the intranet.
Composting
Composting is available in back-of-house areas at Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital and in the cafeteria and restrooms at the 825 Building. Methodist Hospital and the 825 Building both offer composting of food scraps, napkins, and other cafeteria compostables, and the 825 Building also has paper towel composting in restrooms.
Nebraska Methodist College
NMC received a grant from the Nebraska Recycling Council in 2020 to purchase color-coded bins for recycling, landfill, and compost. Staff created activities and materials to educate students and staff about how to properly sort their items, including a video shown on community monitors, a sorting game for cafeteria-goers, effective signage, and email campaigns.
Increased Diversion Rates
The diversion rate at the 825 Building has slid down to 42% as of the end of Q2 2023 from 63% at the end of Q2 2022 (rolling 12 month). This drop is offset by a decrease in the total amount of waste coming from the 825 building, down by as much as 21 tons by the end of Q2 2023, compared with the 12-month total from the end of Q2 2022.
Upcoming Efforts
Recycling & Composting Expansion
We will continually evaluate our waste management systems to ensure they are effectively increasing our diversion rate. Where possible and practical, we will continue to expand recycling and composting services.
High-Volume Streams
We will seek to identify our high-volume waste streams and determine ways to reduce consumption at the source, so as to minimize what needs to be disposed of in the end.
Centralized Trash Collection
When we moved into the new 825 Building in 2018, trash collection was centralized in order to minimize custodial time and place a higher priority on recycling and shredded paper. In the coming years, we intend to explore opportunities to expand this system to other locations.
Education & Outreach
All employees and visitors have a role to play in achieving our diversion rate goal. Each hospital location along with corporate has a Sustainability Ambassador Leadership Team (SALT) set up to support and expand education opportunities around best practices for sustainability at Methodist for its employees and visitors. Continued education and outreach is critical to improving waste diversion.