SOUTH COUNTY : Environmental Efforts Recognized

A hospital, a school district and the firm that manages Leisure World have been honored by the South County Chamber of Commerce for their environmental and conservation efforts.

The chamber annually selects South County companies with successful environmental programs in several critical areas, including transportation, air quality, water and recycling.

Those named this year are the Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, Professional Community Management and Saddleback Valley Unified School District.

The Laguna Hills hospital retrofitted its electrical lighting, saved water by installing new shower heads in patient and employee quarters and designed landscaping and irrigation systems to maximize water use.

To help reduce air pollution, the hospital uses electric trams for transportation in its parking lot and runs a successful employee ride-share program.

In the past 18 months, Saddleback Memorial has also reduced its landfill trash by one-third through recycling of refuse ranging from printer cartridges to kitchen fat.

Professional Community Management, a Laguna Hills firm which manages the Leisure World retirement community, used innovative methods to motivate its employees to participate in the firm’s environmental programs. Bimonthly drawings offered cash, gift certificates, days off with pay and preferred parking spots for employees who car-pooled to work.

Saddleback Valley Unified School District was honored for its recycling program, including the opening of a neighborhood recycling center on one campus. Recycling drives also raised money for toys for low-income children. The district also made ecology a required subject, instituting environmental studies at all grade levels.