Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
Waste
reduction and recycling are important ways to help protect the
environment. Across the country – and around the world – ARAMARK helps
clients, customers and employees reduce their impact on the environment
through reuse and recycling efforts in nearly every industry.
ARAMARK is a member of the National Recycling Coalition, organizers of America Recycles Day.
Businesses
ARAMARK and Hutchinson Technology received the 2007 Minnesota WasteWise
award for achievement and leadership in conservation initiatives.
Hutchinson has recycled, reused or reclaimed more than 8,000 tons of
hazardous waste and more than 80 tons of industrial waste since 2002
and has achieved its goal of becoming a zero-waste-to-landfill facility.
The ARAMARK facilities team has helped Delta Air Lines in Atlanta with their comprehensive in-flight recycling
program launched in June 2007. Approximately 107 tons of aluminum,
plastic, paper, newspapers and glass were recycled from June to October.
Colleges and Universities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded ARAMARK Higher Education its 2007 WasteWise Endorser of the Year Award for support of RecycleMania,
a national competition challenging colleges and universities to collect
recyclables and raise awareness of environmental and conservation
issues. ARAMARK encourages college and university partners to
participate in RecycleMania through Web seminars, marketing materials,
press releases and other communications. With ARAMARK’s assistance,
more than 55 campuses recycled 8.75 million pounds of waste this year.
The University of Florida in Gainesville
and ARAMARK help students recycle all cans and approximately 250 tons
of cardboard and paper yearly. In addition, biodegradable takeout
containers and a reusable mug program are in place. 40,000 pounds of
waste oil has been collected for conversion to bio-diesel fuel.
Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities
To raise awareness for America Recycles Day November 15th, the hospital café at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL,
will return to china service instead of disposables and is introducing
compostable take-out containers to its permanent lineup. Advocate’s
aggressive recycling program has led to an average of 420,000 pounds of
cardboard and 33,200 pounds of co-mingled waste in just two years.
At Holy Redeemer Health System in Meadowbrook, PA, ARAMARK supports solid waste recycling efforts, reduction of disposables, helps convert food waste into bio-rich compost used on the grounds and is a leader in the Delaware Valley Health Care Improvement Foundation’s Green Hospital Pilot Project.
The ARAMARK teams at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Sinai Hospital in Baltimore help
facilitate the recycling of cardboard, printer cartridges, mixed paper,
plastic bottles, glass, aluminum cans plastic wrap, foil and patient
tray disposables.
In addition to general recycling, ARAMARK composts kitchen food waste at Boulder Community Hospital in Colorado.
Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain has received a Massachusetts WasteWiseaward for recycling efforts overall, and the ARAMARK food service department is introducing a food waste composting initiative.
ARAMARK’s
team at St. Joseph’s Medical Center (Stockton, CA) chairs the
hospital’s Environmental Stewardship Committee and has developed
recycling and conservation programs resulting in 1,106 tons of paper, 4.5 tons of batteries, and 28.5 tons of grass, leaves and landscape clippings recycled. In 2007, the Medical Center received the Hospital’s for a Healthy Environment’s (H2E) Environmental Leadership Award.
Parks and Resorts
Planet EVERgreen,
the official “greening” program of ARAMARK Harrison Lodging, focuses on
environmental initiatives that produce positive, measurable results. As
part of this comprehensive program, ARAMARK's Trash Tracker
tool helps collect hundreds of tons of trash for recycling each year at
national and state parks, resorts and conference centers.
Senior Living
Asbury
Methodist Village in Montgomery County, MD, earned an award by the
Maryland Solid Waste Services to recognize the facility’s efforts in
achieving a 55 percent recycled waste stream. Asbury
and ARAMARK recently completed a series of educational seminars for
residents and employees to raise awareness of the recycling program.
Sports and Entertainment
The ARAMARK team at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia received special recognition for collecting the highest amount of recycled material ever at the stadium – 7.1 tons – during one game (Eagles v. Bears October 21, 2007).
Uniform and Career Apparel
ARAMARK
Uniform Services helps reduce waste by encouraging its commercial
laundry customers to return their wire hangers for reuse. Existing
efforts save approximately 150 million hangers each year, equal to about 5,700 tons. The team hopes to double that number in 2008 through process improvements.