HARRISONBURG – As part of its ongoing green initiative, RMH recently launched a pilot recycling program at the hospital.

Plastic and aluminum recycling stations have been placed at selected areas throughout the hospital, said Bernie Ferguson, director, Environmental Services. This effort will help to assess recycling volume for the organization as a whole, he explained.

“The pilot will provide us the opportunity to gauge capacity and make sure the size and appearance of the stations are appropriate,” Ferguson said. “Once the pilot is complete, we plan to further outfit the hospital. We will then transfer the recycling stations to the new hospital when it opens. Launching this program at the current facility will help us to ensure that the system will work well at the new RMH.”

RMH is seeking certification by the U.S. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for the new hospital, set to open in mid-2010. Recycling is one of many initiatives that count toward LEED certification.

“Our efforts to implement environmentally-friendly work practices at our current site will help us to transition to a green facility,” Ferguson said.