April is Earth Month, and the University of Florida as well as UF Health Shands are celebrating their sustainability efforts at both the undergraduate and graduate campuses. At the UF Health Shands hospital, there will be an Earth Day celebration in the North Tower hospital atrium on April 18, 2019, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Employees, staff, patients, and visitors are invited to learn more about all of the sustainability efforts and successes occurring on the hospital campus. Plus, there will be opportunities to register your bike, learn about Wellness, and receive free stuff!
Hospitals carry a very large environmental footprint, using billions of gallons of water per year, and generating over 6 million tons of waste. Energy conservation, waste reduction, and recycling can significantly reduce this impact. At UF Health Shands, we are doing our part: we recycled over 1400 tons of cans, bottles, cardboard, paper, and electronics in 2018, and composted over 50,000 pounds of food waste. Our reprocessing programs and reusable sharps containers saved the hospital almost $200,000.
So come visit the booths in the atrium on April 18, 2019 to learn about current sustainability efforts at UF Health Shands and how you can incorporate sustainable practice into both your work and home.