Sustainability at Michigan Medicine


The healthcare sector contributes to a significant portion of the world’s climate footprint and produces an extraordinary amount of waste. This creates rising temperatures, pollution, and food insecurity that leads to worse health outcomes for all. At Michigan Medicine, we want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. We believe that environmentally sustainable practices are essential to protect the health and longevity of our patients, the community we serve, and our planet.

Michigan Medicine aligns with The University of Michigan 2025 Campus Sustainability Goals and The U-M President's Commitment to Carbon Neutrality. We are actively expanding our existing sustainability programs and piloting new initiatives that align with our goals:

Climate Action & Carbon Neutrality

Waste Prevention

  • Post-consumer composting (leftover food from patient trays) began in both of C.S. Mott Children's and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital and the University Hospital on Jan, 2020
  • Introduced pre-consumer composting in retail kitchens in March, 2019
  • Pre-consumer composting began within the patient food kitchen of University Hospital on Feb, 2018. Collection stopped from Oct, 2018 - Dec, 2019 due to a kitchen renovation project and restarted in Jan, 2020
  • Pre-consumer composting began within the patient food kitchen of C.S. Mott Children's and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital on Jan, 2016
  • Removed Styrofoam from retail food operations in July, 2013

Healthy Environments

Sustainable Food

Community Awareness

Awards & Recognition


Have a question or want to make a suggestion? Email Michigan Medicine at mmrecycle@umich.edu.