Across both sites we recognise the importance of environmental sustainability. We aim to reduce our impact on the planet by implementing various Green Initiatives, which are available for you to read through below. By starting our Green journey, we are not only reducing our environmental impact, but hopefully providing our patients with some ideas on ways they can help too.
What are we doing to be more sustainable?
- Green procurement
- Reducing waste and increasing recycling
- Purchasing sustainably
- Reducing our use of paper
- Supporting health and wellbeing
Embedding Green Impact into our organisational culture
- Green Impact is a standing item on the agenda for our weekly meeting
- We ask staff to feedback ideas for improvement
- Our monthly newsletter promotes Green ideas that we can all use and work with both at work and at home
Improving our energy efficiency
- We ensure radiators, thermostats and air conditioning systems are turned to appropriate temperatures
- Equipment is turned off at the end of each day
- Water heaters are used instead of kettles where possible
Lighting
- Staff take responsibility for switching off lights when not needed or when leaving the room at the end of their session/day
- Staff responsible for locking up the buildings do a sweep to ensure all lights and equipment are switched off
Procurement
- We reviewed our suppliers of office equipment and made switches to more sustainable products
Reducing waste and increasing recycling
- Ensuring only confidential waste is collected for shredding
- Recycling and general waste bins are available for staff to dispose of their waste appropriately
- We recycle used toners and batteries
- We recycle plastic bottle lids
Reducing our use of paper
- We are working towards being a paperless practice, where possible
- We promote health educational message to patients via patient information screens in the waiting room, rather than paper leaflets
- We set the photocopiers to print double sided by default
- Email signatures to include ‘Think Before You Print’ logo
- Patient communication to be paperless where possible
- We also reviewed patient registration packs to use minimal paper and also offer online registration
Reduced prescribing
- Reducing the prescribing of over the counter medication
Supporting Health and Wellbeing
- We are a parkrun practice- Parkrun is held at Ferry Meadows Country Park (near the Orton’s), Snowden Field (north of Newborough), Manor Field (Whittlesey) every Saturday morning at 9am: home | parkrun UK
- Promoting a series of health an wellbeing campaigns each year such as alcohol use, Stoptober and flu vaccination campaigns
Find out what you can do the be more sustainable
As well as the things we are doing in the practice to be more sustainable, we would encourage patients to be more sustainable too, where possible. Some of the following ideas will allow you to help the environment in and in some cases, may help you to save some money.
- Reduce your use of single use plastic.
- Rather than purchasing multiple bottles of water, using a refillable bottle will be better for the environment and better for your wallet
- Where possible, buy Fair Trade products because as well as ensuring decent working conditions, terms of trade and process for producers, it also ensures local sustainability where products are grown/produced.