Trash talking

BIDMC is talking trash. And recycling. And composting.

We live in a country with 6 percent of the world's population, but generates half of the world's trash, according to the Cornell University Waste Management Institute (CWMI). It's no wonder "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" has become an environmental anthem. But, maybe the phrase should be amended to read Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Compost!

According to CWMI, recycling can eliminate as much as 50 percent of the waste that goes into landfills and incinerators, but did you know that an additional 30 percent or more of this waste can be composted?

Eric Buehrens, BIDMC's Interim President and CEO, joins other staff to explain what can and what can't be composted in the medical center's new program.

It's all part of BIDMC's environmental sustainability efforts - including goals to reduce waste and reach a 35 percent recycling rate. The centerpiece of those efforts is the annual Healthy Work/Healthy Home celebration, scheduled for April 26. This year's theme is green transportation.

"Composting is awesome," says Nora Blake, Director of Food Services. "All the stuff we collect in the cafeteria compost bins goes to an industrial composting facility where it breaks down into nutrient rich soil that gets packaged and sold at places like Home Depot."

Sustainability Coordinator Amy Lipman says "We realize composting takes some extra thought and a little getting used to, but folks can always ask cafeteria staff for help. Plus, we've got a lot of helpful information in place to make it easier."

Cafeteria patrons will find table tents, a video and signs throughout the cafeteria marking what's compostable, what can be recycled and what goes in the trash.