Burlington, VT – From food waste to the mattresses used across University of Vermont Medical Center’s inpatient care units, the hospital’s Environmental Services (EVS) team is focused on finding every opportunity to recycle, compost, and reduce the amount of material that ends up in landfills.

That dedication – and the EVS team’s remarkable record of sustained success and improvement – is now being honored by one of the region’s leading solid waste, recycling, and resource management service providers.

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. is highlighting UVM Medical Center’s EVS team for excellence in health care sustainability with its 2025 Sustainability Leadership Award. The award recognizes partners and customers who exemplify achievements in reducing waste, increasing recycling, and advancing the circular economy. The annual awards go to businesses, manufacturers, municipalities, and institutions in higher education and health care.

As part of the award, the work of UVM Medical Center’s EVS team on waste reduction and zero-contamination recycling has been highlighted in a video produced by the company.

“It’s a proud moment for us,” said Sam Susin, a manager on the EVS team who oversees the hospital’s waste sustainability initiatives. “We work in an organization where, the minute you bring an idea or opportunity to the table, people do everything they can to support. It’s a point of pride to be part of that group and participating in the efforts.”

“We are always excited to acknowledge and celebrate the sustainability achievements of organizations like UVM Medical Center each year,” said John W. Casella, Chairman and CEO of Casella. “Modern healthcare—from manufacturing to delivery of care—produces a significant amount of materials to manage and we are honored to work alongside innovators in this space who want to do everything they can to limit the environmental impact and improve circularity at every step in the process.”

All compost, no contaminants

Among the initiatives in the spotlight as part of the award is UVM Medical Center’s composting program. Composting prevents food waste from the hospital’s inpatient care units, cafeterias, and cafes from being hauled to the landfill and diverts it to Green Mountain Compost. There, it becomes part of a locally-focused program that primarily serves backyard lawns and gardens, local garden centers, and landscapers.

While composting isn’t new, the hospital’s success at ensuring zero contamination in its compost earned it recognition from Casella. Nutritional Services employees hand-sort about 1,500 food trays per day, separating food waste from other items. The work significantly reduces the program’s carbon footprint by limiting the number of times the waste must be hauled to different locations before it is taken to the composting facility.

In 2024, UVM Medical Center achieved zero contamination in its compost – a significant milestone that enables it to send the material directly to the composting facility. That work, as well as the addition of a compost compactor at the hospital, has reduced the number of weekly trips Casella makes hauling the hospital’s food waste from six to one. EVS leaders estimate that the achievement has reduced the program’s carbon footprint by about 50%.

The hospital also purchases compost back from Green Mountain Compost, supporting the hospital’s rooftop gardens. The gardens are used for a variety of health-and-wellness and patient support programs.

Mattress recycling

While most talk about hospital beds has to do with how many of them are currently available, for EVS team members there are many more factors at play—including what to do with aging mattresses once they are no longer appropriate for patient care.

In 2024, EVS partnered with Casella to participate in the company’s mattress recycling program. The initiative diverted 80 mattresses – equivalent to more than a ton of waste and 80 cubic yards of space – from the landfill. The EVS team partnered with UVM Medical Center’s pressure injury team, which inspected all of the hospital’s mattresses and identified those that needed to be retired.

Recycled mattresses are disassembled into a variety of recyclable components by Casella and sent to the appropriate facilities, where the materials are used in the manufacturing of new products.

“These programs show how important sustainability is to everyone here at the hospital,” said Brock McSweeney, an EVS supervisor who oversees the sustainability initiatives. “They want to be a part of it and contribute to our efforts – and that makes it a lot easier.”