The environment that surrounds us can directly affect our health, making it very important to protect it. Air pollution due to dirty emissions can lead to respiratory issues such as asthma, and rising global temperatures can make climate-sensitive diseases more prevalent. That’s why UPMC Health Plan is dedicated to being an environmental steward and working to protect our environment through various greening programs.

By reducing the amount of paper they are using, UPMC Health Plan is helping to fight back against climate change. The company has made several improvements to minimize their paper usage since their paper and printing reduction initiatives began in 2009. All printing has been streamlined to energy-efficient printers located in common work areas and all printer cartridges are returned to the vendor for recycling. In addition, UPMC Health Plan encourages employees to not print out emails and to use two-sided paper when it is necessary. Between 2012 and 2015, UPMC was able to reduce their paper consumption by 35%!

In addition to reducing paper and printing, UPMC also works to be more energy efficient and have even been recognized for their efforts by the LEED Certification program. UPMC Health Plan occupies a total of 16 floors in the U.S. Steel Tower in downtown Pittsburgh, with four additional floors to be completed in 2018. By installing motion-detecting lighting fixtures and using energy-efficient light bulbs, nine of these floors are Gold LEED Certified while seven of the floors are Silver LEED Certified. UPMC Health Plan will also work to ensure that the additional four floors meet these standards as well.

To learn more about UPMC Health Plan’s environmental initiatives, click here.