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MUSC wins environmental award for waste reduction On Oct. 14 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented MUSC with a Rookie Reporter award and an Honorable Mention award in the College and University Category for making great strides in the arena of waste reduction during its first year as a WasteWise partner. WasteWise is a free and voluntary waste reduction program launched by EPA in 1994. In 2003, MUSC conserved natural resources by donating items to government and nonprofit organizations, composting with worms, and recycling construction and demolition debris. The hospital donated used items to local schools and charities, reducing its disposal costs and helping the community. Students and employees fed food scraps to worms, generating nutrient-rich compost, rather than sending them to landfills or incinerators. To make room for new facilities, the university deconstructed two buildings, sending concrete, steel, and bricks to a local vendor for recycling. The university is one of only two organizations to receive a Rookie Reporter award at the ceremony. WasteWise provides guidance and recognition to more than 1,500 participating organizations that are working to find practical methods to reduce municipal solid waste and improve financial performance.  As WasteWise celebrates its 10th anniversary, EPA recognized veteran partners that have made the program a success through their sustained commitment to waste reduction and new members, such as MUSC, that will carry the program into the future. For more information about EPA’s WasteWise program and details about the 2004 WasteWise Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, visit http://www.epa.gov/wastewise or contact the WasteWise Helpline at 800 EPA-WISE (372-9473).   Friday, Nov. 26, 2004 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.