Providence Alaska Medical Center begins composting program

At Providence, we believe healthy people require a healthy planet. Because waste generated in health care has a significant impact on our planet, Providence has committed to being carbon negative by 2030 and is working to divert more than 50% of total waste away from landfills or hazardous streams.  

One of the biggest sources of hospital waste is food waste. To reduce ours, Providence Alaska Medical Center (PAMC) partnered with Alaska Community Action on Toxics to locally compost the food waste we produce, including vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and other discarded food items. 

Since this is Providence Alaska’s first composting program, we also sought advice from Solid Waste Services, who donated four curbside organics containers for storing compost. 

Since the beginning of this program, PAMC has composted more than 6,000 pounds (about the weight of an elephant) of food waste: 1,650 pounds in August; 2,100 pounds in September; and 2,325 pounds in October. 

We expect this amount to grow as the program continues.