LEWISTON — St. Mary’s Health System has been awarded the Partner for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth.

Practice Greenhealth is the nation’s leading health care community that empowers its members to increase their efficiencies and environmental stewardship while improving patient safety and care through tools, best practices and knowledge.

The Partner Recognition Award is given to health care facilities that have focused on environmental improvements, made consistent achievements and have at least a 10 percent recycling rate for their total waste stream.

St. Mary’s recycles 37 percent of its total waste and its efforts to reduce regulated medical waste were recently highlighted in a Healthier Hospitals Initiative case study about its environmental best practices.