Medical waste disposal must be carried out safely as it can easily harm the environment if mismanaged. This is where Stericycle comes in.

You might have seen bins with Stericycle on the side in a doctor’s office or hospital. These are specially designed for the disposal of biowaste.

The company behind it, Stericycle, has been in the business of safely managing medical waste and secure information destruction for over 30 years. 

Now, it is also closely monitoring its impact on the environment and recently received a “B-“ rating for its efforts in its first-year submission of the CDP Climate Change Survey. CDP is a global non-profit organization that was founded in 2000 to motivate companies to disclose their environmental impact. In 2021, it counted more than 14,000 organizations and companies that disclosed data through CDP. In its Climate Change Survey, it rated companies’ environmental progress and leadership with grades from A to D-.

“Protecting the health and well-being of the environment in a safe, responsible and sustainable way is a key element of our mission and core values – and something we focus on every day,” said Cindy J. Miller, president, and chief executive officer at Stericycle. “With increasing focus on minimizing climate change impact, we formally disclosed our climate change data through CDP to enhance transparency with our many stakeholders. We are proud to have received a B- score from our initial submission and look forward to advancing our environmental efforts.”

From an operational standpoint, in 2020, the company treated 1.5 billion pounds of medical waste, diverted 104 million pounds of plastic from landfills, safely disposed of 40 million pounds of unused pharmaceuticals, and recycled 1.1 billion pounds of paper through its documents destruction service.

In its 2021 social responsibility report, U.S.-based Stericycle outlines its major ESG achievements for 2020. It expanded its employee resource groups to provide a forum for important conversations and company-wide awareness initiatives in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also implemented formal tracking of its use of natural resources to estimate greenhouse gas emissions. 

Stericycle created an operations, safety, and environmental committee of the board of directors to oversee various operational goals and environmental issues. And it realigned its executive compensation in line with the company’s overall transformation and business priorities which include safety as an ESG metric. 

In addition, in 2021, CEO Miller was named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list. The list recognizes female leaders, entrepreneurs, and change-makers over the age of 50 who are making great contributions to society and achieving their greatest accomplishments.

“The first-ever list is comprised of women who are rejecting societal expectations and redefining what it means to be a woman over 50,” noted Stericycle on its website. “With more than 10,000 applications, the final 50 were selected based on three main criteria: achievements after turning 50, success at scale, and a pay-it-forward mindset.”

Miller commented on the recognition: “I am honored to be recognized by Forbes in the inaugural 50 Over 50 list and to be included among accomplished and notable women who have achieved significant success later in life, often by overcoming formidable odds or barriers.”

“When I started my career as a UPS driver, I had no idea that I would one day become the first female CEO of a publicly-traded waste company – and that I would reach that milestone after the age of 50.

Every accomplished woman on this list is living proof that success knows no limits,” stated Miller.