Hospital foodservice program wins award for sustainability

Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital (ALMH), a 25-bed hospital in Lincoln, Ill., received two awards from Practice Greenhealth, an organization that promotes environmental sustainability in healthcare.

For the second year in a row, ALMH received the Emerald Award, which recognizes healthcare facilities that are committed to eliminating mercury, reducing and recycling waste, sustainable sourcing and more. The hospital also received its first Circles of Excellence in Food award.

The Food Circle of Excellence recognizes leaders in sustainable foodservice—those with a commitment to serving less meat, procuring better meat, sourcing locally and sustainably, improving access to tap water and healthy beverages, supporting healthy food access and preventing food waste, according to an article in The State Journal-Register.

ALMH sent 36 tons of waste to a single-stream recycling program and reduced landfill-bound waste by 12 tons in 2018. Additionally, the hospital’s foodservice program cut sugar-sweetened beverage sales by 16.7%.