Crestwood Healing Center is a medical health services provider that has gone above and beyond to both minimize the company’s environmental impact and serve as a strong sustainability role model for its community. In addition to creating a Sustainability Coordinator position to help maintain the green practices at its facility, the Center implemented a Green Purchasing Practices policy that requires staff to consider the life cycle impact of each company purchase. Crestwood established an elaborate recycling and composting program and makes an effort to reuse items in creative ways such as decorative window art. Food services prioritize sustainable purchases including locally grown food and reusable tableware and napkins. The business saved more than $1,000 in 2016 by purchasing reusable cups for $200. Purchasing cloth napkins saved ~$900. Crestwood Healing Center also replaced disposable pill containers and water cups with reusable versions. The Center estimates it will avoid sending more than 100,000 paper napkins and 75,000 plastic cups to the landfill this year. These actions not only minimize the company’s environmental impact but also have elicited a positive response from residents. Many residents have even commented on how the use of reusable tableware has given the Center’s food area more of a restaurant feel.In addition to waste mitigation measures, Crestwood has taken a strong stance on water conservation. The business installed water-saving devices such as low-flow toilets, shower heads, and faucet aerators and developed a garden irrigation system which uses only water collected in a rain barrel and from washing fruits and vegetables. In 2016 these changes saved 466,000 gallons of water and resulted in cost savings of nearly $2,000. Crestwood received a water conservation certificate from the Contra Costa Water District Board for its efforts and was deemed “a model for the surrounding community.”While operational changes have shown to have a significant impact on the company’s carbon footprint, community outreach can spread these efforts to the surrounding community. Crestwood has created a monthly newsletter informing its residents and the neighboring community about its sustainability efforts. This newsletter not only provides detailed information on the strategies they have employed but gives readers statistics on the amount of water saved, waste diverted, energy saved, and cost savings. This information gives readers an inspirational feeling about Crestwood’s business practices and helps readers understand that small changes can have a big impact on the environment and cost savings. Along with the newsletter, Crestwood holds regular staff meetings to go over sustainable practices and shares its successful strategies with partner agencies. Crestwood Healing Center is truly a role model for the surrounding community and will likely spur local sustainable actions for years to come.
