Yah, I know…the jokes about greening and food are endless…from the fuzzy thing growing in some forgotten corner of the refrigerator, to some local leafy greens, blanched and then sautéed with garlic in olive oil and fresh tomatoes (okay – maybe the latter isn’t so much of a joke as it is delicious).

 But greening the food chain is about more than just the food itself, but also how we package, serve and ultimately dispose of it…which is why UHN started its Greening Retail program in the first place.

 Over the past few months we’ve worked with our Environmental Services departments and food-court vendors to make sure they are able to participate in our recycling and composting program.  And now, with the release of Green Vendors @ UHN (available for UHN staff on the Energy & Environment intranet page or by clicking here) staff have a listing of which vendors accept refillable cups or containers for food and drink and, as if avoiding disposables wasn’t reward enough, what sort of discount is offered for bringing your own container.

 So, while we’re not quite ready to have free-range chickens wandering our hallways, and the addition of an organic garden to the boardroom is still in the early, early, early stages (i.e., just a made up dream at this point) greening healthcare and the food-chain just got a little bit easier at UHN.

 -ed