How Corewell Health Reduced Waste and Strengthened Community Through Furniture Refurbishing and Recycling Programs

Corewell Health, a nonprofit health system headquartered in Grand Rapids, is pioneering innovative furniture refurbishing and recycling programs that reduce landfill waste and support local communities. The program collects old, damaged, or unwanted furniture from 230 Spectrum sites and 14 hospitals, sending it to Goodwill Industries of West Michigan for repair, refurbishment, and redistribution.

“The reason it’s important to us is we know economic health is based on having employment in the community,” says Sarah Chartier, former senior sustainability project manager at Corewell Health. “So we look beyond just the four walls of how we care for our patients to the actual health of the community.”

Since committing to zero waste to landfill in 2018, the former Spectrum Health Distribution Center has increased its diversion rate from 87% to 96%, diverting thousands of pounds of furniture, medical equipment, and supplies that would otherwise go to landfills.

Staff Engagement Programs Drive Zero Waste Goals

Old or unwanted furniture from sites is refurbished and then made available to nonprofits, sold at Goodwill, or delivered to employees who request it via an internal “Craigslist-like” platform. This circular approach reduces landfill contributions, saves resources, and supports local employment.

The Distribution Center uses dumpster audits to identify recyclable materials, discovering that nearly 73% of discarded waste could be recycled. These insights help refine recycling processes and increase diversion rates. The Michigan Recycling Coalition recognized the program with an excellence in recycling award in May 2019.

Internally, the system encourages sustainability through its Green Team, which coordinates initiatives such as staff education via Lunch and Learns, composting in restrooms and break areas, signage for recycling and zero-waste awareness.