Mercy Earns Green Initiative Award for Water Conservation

Mercy was honored with a “Green Initiative” Award from the Webster Groves/Shrewsbury/Rock Hill Chamber of Commerce at the chamber's annual Heart of the Community awards banquet.

The honor recognizes Mercy’s recent elimination of bottled water sales at all locations. The bottles were replaced with more than 40,000 reusable water vessels that were given to co-workers, physicians and volunteers. Where reusable cups are not possible, Mercy switched from foam or plastic cups to paper cups. In addition to conserving water and energy, the initiative also is keeping an estimated 491,000 plastic water bottles out of landfills.

“One of the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy is concern for the earth, especially water,” said Tom Edelstein, Vice President of Mission at Mercy Hospital South, who accepted the award on Mercy’s behalf. “As a ministry with a mission inherited from the Sisters, Mercy has a responsibility to echo this concern as part of our efforts toward good stewardship.”