At Meopham Veterinary Hospital, we are passionate about environmental sustainability by both colleagues and clients. 

The medical industry historically has a large carbon footprint due to the nature of the work carried out and we are taking steps to reduce this, where possible.

  • Recycling – We encourage recycling as much as possible.  All paper; cardboard, glass, cans, plastic and batteries are recycled where possible. 
  • Electricity – Heating is kept at 18-22oC in most rooms but turned off overnight at the branches after closing.  Many lights in the practice are operated on a sensor but staff are encouraged to turn off lights in rooms they are not using.  Equipment is turned off at the wall overnight.  We regularly monitor our electrical usage to focus on areas which we can improve.
  • Water – Our vets are adapting to using water-free surgical hand scrubbing techniques.  We monitor water usage to identify quickly any possible leaks so they can be swiftly dealt with.
  • Anaesthetic gases – We use local and regional anaesthetic techniques to reduce the requirement for anaesthetic gases.
  • Stock – We minimise our stock and transfer it between branches, when necessary to reduce wastage.  We regularly review stock at our stocktake audits.  Clients are encouraged to return stock to the practice so be disposed of appropriately, reducing the risk of it going to landfill and contaminating the environment.
  • Parasiticides/Antibiotics – Use of these medications is more tightly controlled and reviewed on a case-by-case basis to limit the environmental impact.

Goals

  • To highlight to us clients the responsible antibiotic and parasiticide treatments, plus encourage clients to return unused medications for responsible disposal.
  • Increasing proportion of waste recycled
  • We will continue to monitor our electrical resources and limit their usage where possible.

Sustainability Champions

Meopham Veterinary Hospital         Jo Loud

Swanscombe Veterinary Surgery      Lauren Smith

Sevenoaks Veterinary Surgery          Ida Machniak

Tonbridge Veterinary Surgery           Emily Wade

East Malling Veterinary Surgery       Bryony Birch