Our Sustainability journey

Carbon reduction, sustainability, recycling.

Sustainability is not just about a carbon footprint or a discarded plastic bottle; a sustainable world is one where the environmental impact of humans is negligible, where the earth and its denizens thrive rather than survive. From carbon generation to waste production, from deforestation to human rights.

We encourage all staff while at work to be aware of the environmental effect of their actions and to reduce wherever possible their and our environmental burden.  We encourage all staff to practice the same principles at home to reduce their own environmental impact.  If we believe in the environment, we should practice the same beliefs everywhere.

We are quizzing all our suppliers about their environmental policy and challenging them to challenge their suppliers and their manufacturing chain to improve their impact.  We will be changing suppliers where they cannot demonstrate the best attitude and policies.

We are making choices which will result in environmentally sound practices for the future.  The integrated computerisation within the practice means we have a reduced reliance on paper, all patient records are computerised, and we are questioning the paper that we do use.  We use text messages, email and phone to contact patients and suppliers in preference to post.  At our practice move and refits back in 2013 we were an early adopter in installing LED skytiles rather than fluorescent tubes.  We actively recycle using a commercial waste company and actively advise our patients to bring back their contact lens waste, we are researching opportunities for recycling other product waste.

We will move our electricity supplier to a greener alternative when our fixed term is up, but they currently use 30% renewable sources.

Here's a link to Achieving Net Zero from the Environment Agency.

 

Refuse not refuse – if you can find an alternative, do not use a “dirty” product.

Repurpose or recycle – If you must use it, make more use of the original product, or regenerate it

 

Ideals:  moving towards biodegradable or recyclable products, moving away from single use product, avoiding the use of plastic and wood where possible.  Encouraging a more varied diet including large amounts of plant-based foods and a reduction in meat-based products.  Cleaner seas: less waste plastic and less effluent discharge.