Toronto, ON, May 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recognition of achievements in sustainability and waste reduction at its International Reference Lab in Toronto, LifeLabs has received a Partner Recognition Award from Practice Greenhealth, a leading US organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in health care. The award is one of the Environmental Excellence Awards given each year to honour environmental achievements in the health care sector.
“We are honoured to receive this award from Practice Greenhealth. In our commitment to building a healthier Canada, we strive for continual innovation in our services. This means being innovative in every facet of our operations, including protecting our environment as we become more sustainable,” says Pierre Bou-Mansour, Chief Operating Officer, LifeLabs.
Performing more than 100 million laboratory tests every year, LifeLabs understands the importance of developing and maintaining environmentally sustainable practices. Through innovative changes in the company’s waste management, energy efficiency, purchasing practices, and recycling program, they have made a significant impact across the organization's operations.
For example, almost every diagnostic test relies on clean water to ensure a high-quality result. LifeLabs has invested in the development of an innovative ozone treatment system to treat waste and remove contaminants from the water before returning it to the public system. Other highlights of how LifeLabs reduces their carbon footprint:
- Recaptured greater than 75% methanol used by the Hematology department for analyzing samples to reduce waste, with the remaining 25% picked up by a chemical waste hauler
- Converted more than 2200 fixtures to light-emitting diode (LED) technology in labs across Canada to increase energy efficiency
- Organics recycling available at all major labs
- Ongoing waste audits and diversion improvements
The award was presented at the Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Awards Gala, last night in San Diego. Louise Nagy, LifeLabs’ National Director of Community & Environmental Sustainability, accepted the award on behalf of LifeLabs.
“The improvements we make today, by reducing carbon emissions and waste, will help build a healthier Canada for future generations,” says Louise Nagy.
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About LifeLabs
LifeLabs is Canada’s leading provider of laboratory diagnostic information and digital health connectivity systems, enabling patients and healthcare practitioners to diagnose, treat, monitor, and prevent disease. We support 20 million patient visits annually and conduct over 100 million laboratory tests through leading edge technologies and our 5,700 talented and dedicated employees. We are a committed innovator in supporting Canadians to live healthier lives, operating Canada's first commercial genetics lab and the country's largest online patient portal, with more than 2.3 million Canadians receiving their results online. LifeLabs is 100% Canadian owned by OMERS Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment manager of one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans. Learn more at www.lifelabs.com.
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