PORLTAND, Ore. - Oregon Health & Science University has received the 2006 Partner for Change Award from Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), a nonprofit group focused on improving health care's environmental performance.

The H2E Partners for Change Award recognizes hospitals that acknowledge and act upon the crucial link between community and environmental health. The award is given annually to facilities that have made significant sustainable progress toward reducing waste, preventing pollution and eliminating mercury. Recipients reduce, reuse, and/or recycle at least 10 percent of their total waste each year.

Last year OHSU recycled 1,014 tons of recyclable materials, a 137-ton increase from 2003. This number includes 561 tons of paper, 322 tons of cardboard, 29 tons of plastic and 38 tons of yard debris.

We're sending less garbage to the landfill and filling more requests for recycling bins every day, said Ali Sadri, assistant director of facilities management and construction. This award is a great reminder of the importance of continually improving our environmental impact to make this institution safer and healthier for our patients, staff, community and the global environment.

Jointly founded by the American Hospital Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, Health Care Without Harm and the American Nurses Association, H2E educates health care professionals about pollution prevention opportunities, rewards the sector's best performers, and provides a wealth of practical tools and resources to facilitate the industry's movement toward environmental sustainability.