Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center recognized for waste reduction

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center has been recognized for its efforts to reduce waste by the state, the hospital said Thursday (Dec. 23).

The hospital is being recognized by the Waste Reduction Awards Program, which is administered by the state Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery, also known as CalRecycle.

The award is meant to showcase businesses and nonprofits for their waste reduction efforts, according to the CalRecycle website.

The Pomona hospital was recognized for its work resulting in a comprehensive waste reduction plan.

The plan includes 17 waste reduction methods, eight reuse programs and nine different materials recycling programs, the hospital said in a statement.

Among the steps the hospital has taken are shifting to reusable shipping containers, donating furniture and other items to local charities and moving to computerized X-rays and eliminating the use of film, according to a hospital statement.

"I am proud of PVHMC's accomplishments at energy conservation and waste reduction," Jill Hagelganz, the hospital's safety officer, said in the statement.

"Although we have made great strides in our current attempts at reducing waste, we will continue to increase our recycling activities and achieve a higher volume of waste reduction efforts," she said.

"It is important for (the hospital) to achieve our waste reduction and recycling goals to become a leader as an environmentally efficient facility," said Michael Vestino, the hospital's executive director for support services, said in the statement.