Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP)

Seton Medical Center Coastside: A Winner of the 2006 WRAP of the Year (WOTY)

The Waste Reduction Award Program recognizes Seton Medical Center Coastside as a California business that has made outstanding efforts to reduce nonhazardous waste and send less garbage to our landfills.

• Certificate (Adobe PDF, 500 KB)
• Press Release
• Press Coverage
• Event Photos

Seton Medical Center Coastside (Moss Beach, San Mateo) is a rural hospital located in Moss Beach, California. The facility holds a 116 bed Skilled Nursing Facility, a five-bed Acute Care Unit and the only Emergency Department on the coast between Santa Cruz and Daly City. In fiscal year (FY) 2006, Seton saved an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 through waste reduction efforts and diverted more than 25 tons of materials from disposal. The majority of the facility's waste reduction efforts are in the form of donation, reuse and recycling. While not saving much by way of dollars, the benefit is felt to be in the saving of natural resources and the environment. Exact measurement of all material diverted through reuse and donation is difficult due to the variety of items (medical equipment, electronic equipment, pallets, binders, clothes, linen, etc.), but reuse activities have become more and more creative as the staff's environmental awareness has grown. The use of a document and data destruction service has ensured the facility's compliance with federal regulations while still allowing for an almost 50 percent increase in paper recycling from FY 2003 to FY 2006. The 2001 implementation of "flat mop" system has resulted in annual cost savings of over $2,000, reduced floor chemical use by 75 percent, and enhanced patient safety by eliminating the threat of cross-contamination between rooms. Extensive use of an intranet vastly improved electronic communication capabilities between facilities. The availability of online policy and procedure manuals has furthered paper consumption reduction efforts by eliminating the need to distribute hard copy manuals to multiple departments. In addition to the intranet, upgrades and additions to internet services provided associates with access to "e-learning" options designed to assist them in fulfilling ongoing educational requirements. Results of this online training are maintained and reported to managers electronically, further reducing paper consumption.
www.setonmedicalcenter.org
Years Awarded: 2005

Press Coverage

Seton Medical Center Coastside honored for recycling
Pacifica Tribune Staff

The Seton Medical Center Coastside in Moss Beach is one of California's leading waste-cutters, reducing and recycling so well in 2006 that it earned top honors over more than 1,200 other businesses from the California Integrated Waste Management Board's Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP). The medical center joins a select circle of five other WRAP of the Year winners (WOTY) for 2006.

Event Photos

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2006 WOTY Home

Last updated: March 03, 2008