Sharp HealthCare Proves It's Easy Being Green With New Composting Program

A truck carts away compost from Sharp Memorial and Sharp Mary Birch.
A truck carts away compost from Sharp Memorial and Sharp Mary Birch.
New Composting Program
Two hospitals within Sharp HealthCare will divert more than 336,000 pounds of food waste from local landfills each year as part of City of San Diego's Food Waste Composting Program.

Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns and Sharp Memorial Hospital expect to send approximately 7,000 pounds of food waste each week to the Miramar Greenery composting facility, located at the Miramar Landfill. The food waste will be collected from the kitchen that supports both hospitals and will include expired products and kitchen scraps, like fruit and vegetable peels, which would typically be thrown in the trash. This waste will be processed at the Miramar Greenery into rich compost to improve local gardens and landscapes.

"We are excited to have Sharp join the growing list of participants in our Food Waste Composting Program. They are the first health care group to join our program and we hope others will follow their lead," said Ken Prue, waste reduction program manager, City of San Diego.

The composting at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns and Sharp Memorial Hospital represents more than 5 percent of the hospitals' extensive waste diversion and shows their commitment to the region's environment. Due to the implementation of this program, the total waste diversion for both hospitals has greatly improved, making them some of the country's leading hospitals in waste minimization.

"Our participation in the Food Waste Composting Program represents a small but significant part of Sharp HealthCare's overall effort to decrease our footprint on the environment," said Renee Huslin, Sharp HealthCare's sustainability officer for waste minimization. "We're pleased to be part of this program and to make a positive impact on our community."

"As one of our region's leading employers, it's important that we are on the forefront of green efforts," said Donna Serpico-Thompson, vice president of business development at Sharp HealthCare. "To ensure that happens, we've implemented a campaign called All Ways Green, a green initiative committed to improving the health of the environment and therefore the communities we serve."

All Ways Green
All Ways Green
Sharp's All Ways Green initiative is focused on energy efficiency, water conservation, waste minimization, green building design, food and nutrition, transportation and researching alternative energy generation methods. In order to lessen their carbon footprint and to become more sustainable, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns and Sharp Memorial Hospital have implemented all of these initiatives.

Some examples of these green implementations include:

  • A more energy efficient chiller to provide air conditioning for the hospitals
  • Drought-tolerant xeriscape in many outdoor areas
  • Electronic faucets with sensors in all public restrooms
  • Occupancy sensors to control lights in conference rooms
  • The housekeeping department's use of water absorbent microfiber mops instead of cotton
  • The use of biodegradable food containers in the cafeteria – no Styrofoam – which will decompose in a landfill in two years or less
  • The use of paper products that are 30 to 40 percent recycled
Last Updated: October 1, 2012