For two decades the Waste Management and Research Center (WMRC) and the Governor of Illinois have given out Pollution Prevention Awards to companies who excel in protecting the environment and boosting the economy.

For the second year in a row, Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System (SBLHS), located in Mattoon, won an award, along with 23 others.

One of the reasons SBLHS won again is the hospital has a committee that examines ways to improve conservation efforts. Members of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity are on the committee and are a “big help,” said Jeff Nichols, manager of environment services for SBLHS.

The company also has a 10 year energy plan, now in its third or fourth year that “looks at what (SBLHS) can do to preserve energy,” Nichols. One of the ways they are doing this is by switch from T12 lighting bulbs to T8 bulbs.

To aid their efforts, the company conducted a building energy audit which allowed them to see how much energy the company uses and how much it costs.

The company also conducted a waste audit in which they collected all the waste the company had in 24 hours and determines which department deposited what types of waste.

One of the outcomes, still in progress, is the use of vermicomposting to eliminate food waste. This is done by first grinding up the food waste. A food pulper then extracts all the liquid out of the waste and turns it into pulp food. The pulp food is fed to red wiggler worms that eat and digest the pulp and produce casting, the richest nutrient on Earth. Casting can be used to plant trees, shrubs, and other wildlife. According to a food audit the company did, they used about 400 pounds of food a day. With vermicomposting, they would use only 70 pounds a day, Nichols said.

The company also gives their outdated electronics to Recycling for Illinois Inc. who reclaims precious metals out of the products, Nichols said.

Some of the measures the company took benefit their customers. One example is the using of a cleaning product that contains orange II. The product not only cleans the floors, carpets, steel, and windows but is also “Earth friendly and people friendly,” Nichols said. In other words it is environmentally save and less harsh on humans. Nichols said this is especially true for people with asthma.

In all, the company saves about $300,000 a year because of their actions, said Nichols.

The companies that won the awards combined also save a startling amount of money per year – about $200 million. On top of that, they reduce land-fill waste by more than 13 million pounds and reduce water supply by more than 45,200 gallons per year, said Gary Miller, assistant director of WMRC

The WMRC decide who should be nominated by not only the amount of waste that is eliminated but how toxic the waste is. Two people review every application and a group consensus of about 10 people – including engineers, scientists, and staff that work in the field and with the companies – rate the company on a scale of 1 to 10. The group then visits the site, makes a final decision on who should be nominated and sends that list to the Governor’s office, Miller said.

“We look for companies that go beyond what is required by the law and regulations,” Miller said.

He said that besides reducing waste, pollution prevention has other benefits for companies. It can save energy, which reduces costs, and can make the company more efficient and competitive.

“(These companies) are not just producing a product but are being environmentally friendly at the same time,” Miller said.

This year around 30 companies applied. Miller said one of the reasons that the majority of those who apply win is companies have “figured out what it takes to win,” so if they don’t, they don’t bother sending in an application.

Five or six of the companies were new-comers, Miller said, while the rest received the Continuous Improvement award for their on-going efforts in reducing pollution.

SBLHS’s initial plan in preventing pollution has been built on since it began, one of the reasons they have won two years in a row. Nichols compared it to the foundations of a home which starts with the walls and goes from there.

Miller said that the WMRC and SBLHS have been working together for several years and he’s “very impressed by the energy and effort they put into” preventing pollution. SBLHS is one of the leading hospitals in Illinois in eliminating waste materials, Miller said. “Charleston should be proud.”