Regent Court Vets is the first practice in the UK to receive a Plastic Free award from environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage. We have worked hard to reduce single use plastic, changing products for more eco-friendly alternatives. We have also found ways of recycling the more unusual plastic products that are not currently accepted by local authorities.
More importantly I feel, is the work we have done within the community and with our veterinary peers to raise awareness of the huge plastic pollution problem that the world is facing. Surfers Against Sewage have named us ‘community allies’ in response to this. We have organised local beach cleans, ‘Paws Against Plastic’ and regularly share our efforts on social media.
But where do we start?
It's important to remember that change doesn't happen overnight. It's taken us over 12 months to reach this point, and we are still regularly working on new initiatives. My advice would be to start in the non-clinical areas of your practice. Look at the carrier bags you offer, bags used for dispensing and the amount of plastic folders/wallets you use. Consider purchasing recycled ink cartridges for your printers (often cheaper than the branded versions).
Cost is also an important thing to consider, especially in small businesses, but we were surprised to find that many of the alternatives are cheaper than you might think, sometimes even less that we were already paying. This applies particularly when looking at single use items vs reusable versions. We love our new fabric scrub caps which can be washed and sterilised. One way of seeing what you can initially afford is to visit the designated green product sections from IMS and JAK.
Ultimately, it's best to purchase as little plastic as possible, but unfortunately there are some products for which there is simply no alternative. With this in mind, more of them can be recycled than you might realise. Terracycle will take care of items such as pet food bags and pouches and used stationery. As well as being a free way of increasing the amount we can recycle, the initiative also raises lots of money for charity.
| Original products | Eco-friendly alternatives |
|---|---|
| Individually plastic wrapped washing machine tablets | Washing powder |
| Plastic carrier bags | Brown paper bags |
| Plastic buster collars | Greencol Buster collars (made from 80% recycled material) (IMS) |
| Pouches of recovery food fed post anaesthetic | Tins of recovery food |
| Regular syringes | BD Emerald syringes (made form 30% less plastic) (IMS) |
| Katkor litter for collecting urine samples | Medicat litter which is biodegradable |
| Plastic folders for our puppy/kitten information packs | Coloured cardboard folders |
Social media
I got loads of my initial inspiration from social media, with many new veterinary specific pages now available. Follow Learning Without Landfill on Facebook and Twitter to get loads of ideas and put questions to your veterinary peers. Also visit our Facebook page to follow any new concepts we will be working on in the coming months. The Sustainable Vet Nurse and Zero Waste Veterinary are also amongst my favourites.
Here's what Jane Davidson and Jo Hinde from Learning Without Landfill had to say: ‘To know that we have inspired and supported the great achievement by Megan and Regent Court Vets is wonderful. We are in a time of change and small, positive actions build to an overall cultural change. Congratulations Regent Court Vets for being part of that change.’
Conclusion
I would like to finish with a few words from Rachel Yates, Community Lead for Plastic Free Penzance. ‘We get told sometimes from businesses that ‘there's nothing we can do’ and this just goes to prove that it doesn't matter what kind of business or organisation you run, there is always action you can take.’ It takes time, but it doesn't have to be expensive. There is lots of help and support out there if you need it. The veterinary world is a fantastic community and we can achieve almost anything if we continue to work together.