1.44-Ton Recycling Haul for Aspirus Keweenaw

In December 2021, Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital added a single-stream recycling dumpster to its campus. This June, the hospital celebrated as its recycling vendor emptied this dumpster for the first time, hauling away 1.44 tons of recyclables. That’s about the same weight as a Toyota Corolla! Items placed in the dumpster include a mix of recyclables from hospital operations (kitchen, maintenance and more), the hospital cafeteria’s recycling bin, and employees’ homes.

Aspirus Keweenaw is proud to keep such a large amount of recyclable waste out of the landfill. This 1.44 tons represents an exciting milestone in the recycling journey of Aspirus Keweenaw’s Green Team and the Sustainability Committee that preceded Aspirus Health’s system sustainability structure.

From collecting the hospital pharmacy’s empty pill bottles and taking them to the recycling center as part of team members’ personal recycling runs, to adding a centralized recycling container on site, Aspirus Keweenaw’s commitment to recycling keeps growing. Since municipal recycling is not available in the area around Aspirus Keweenaw, the Green Team now hosts an Employee Recycling Day. Once a month, employees are invited to bring their single-stream recycling from home and drop it off for free.

The Green Team hopes Aspirus Keweenaw’s dedication to recycling will be a catalyst for the development of a community recycling program and will inspire Aspirus employees and their families, local school children, and community members to adopt a culture of recycling for the benefit of the environment now and in the future. Aspirus Keweenaw is starting to engage with community partners to help lead efforts to expand recycling options for people living in its service area.

Thank you to Aspirus Keweenaw employees for embracing the importance of recycling. And, special thanks to the members of Aspirus Keweenaw’s Environmental Services and Facilities teams whose support has been instrumental to the success of recycling across Aspirus Keweenaw’s hospital and clinics.