Shrewsbury veterinary practice goes green to reduce carbon footprint
A Shrewsbury veterinary practice has received a prestigious award for its continuing efforts to reduce its impact on the environment.
Quarry Vets is celebrating being presented with the Investors in the Environment (iiE) silver award for embracing greener ways of working that have saved energy and reduced waste at its surgeries in Brassey Road and Bayston Hill.
Over the past three years, the practice has reduced clinical waste by 56%, used 38% less paper and recorded a 2.5% reduction in gas usage. It has further reduced its impact on the environment by lowering CO2 emissions by 11.26 tonnes.
It’s the second award the practice has received from the iiE environmental accreditation scheme, having achieved the bronze level accreditation last year. The scheme is designed to help organisations reduce their impact on the environment by reducing resources and waste while supporting projects within the community.
To step up to silver, Quarry Vets has continued its efforts to reduce waste and lower CO2 emissions through a wide range of environmentally friendly initiatives, including recycling more plastic, reducing single-use items and changing the way anaesthetic is administered for small animal surgery.
To achieve the huge drop in clinical waste going to landfill, they have introduced compostable pill bottles, stock syringes made from recycled plastic and recycle used drip lines by chopping them into pieces to create non-absorbent cat litter for collecting urine samples.
The team also supports the environment through a wildlife garden at its Brassey Road surgery. They use rainwater to water plants, and compost bins create organic fertilizer that team members can take home and use in their own gardens.
Quarry Vets’ vet Charlie Hertel heads up the practice’s Green Group, supported by nurse Hana Hemingway and receptionists Sally Vow and Rene Jones.
Charlie said: “We are delighted to have achieved the iiE silver award. It’s important to us that we care for the planet as well as pets and we’re committed to playing an active role in protecting the environment.
“All of the reductions have been a team effort, and it shows how much can be achieved when everyone gets involved. The whole team at Quarry Vets is focused on recycling, and reducing waste and turning off lights and equipment has become second nature. Our nurses are also great at checking packaging and removing all the recyclable elements, because every small thing we do can have a positive impact on the planet.
“We want to continue making a difference and we’re now aiming for the highest iiE environmental award, which is green. We hope to achieve this by introducing more initiatives to save energy and reduce waste, such as installing radiator reflectors. The team is also planning to support more community projects through fundraising and volunteering, and we’d love to take part in local environmental events.”
