Green Initiatives

Iowa Health System's focus on the community extends beyond patient care.

The organization embraces the long-term sustainability of our environment and created a Green Environmental Action Team (GrEAT) with the goal of becoming more Earth friendly by balancing the environment and economics.

Initial efforts focused on educating employees and promoting their involvement in sustainability activities. Iowa Health System also launched several initiatives to reduce pollution and cut costs, including:

  • Recycling plastic, cardboard and paper - Iowa Health System recycles more than seven tons of plastic, cardboard and paper each month.

  • Reducing energy consumption - A variety of energy conservation strategies, including structural enhancements, energy efficient lighting and an award-winning centralized laundry processing facility, help Iowa Health System reduce its environmental impact.

  • Food waste reduction - Iowa Health System has implemented a program to control waste and the point of food preparation and guides facilities to work with food waste in a sustainable manner.

  • Remanufacturing medical supplies and instruments - Iowa Health System works with external vendors to remanufacture and redistribute medical items, eliminating 19,000 pounds of waste being added to the landfill each year. Iowa Health System has saved more than $600,000 through its remanufacturing partnerships.

  • Employee initiatives - Individuals and departments across the system have developed plans to raise
    awareness about environmental issues and implemented numerous grassroots solutions.

Enjoy our GrEAT Success Stories