Consumption

By reducing consumption of a given product, the following will automatically be decreased:

Consumption should be reduced by systematically evaluating what the veterinary clinic uses. One way to identify excessive consumption involves conducting a trash audit that documents everything that leaves the clinic, both in the trash and recycling, and identifying where needless waste is occurring. This will reveal sensible institutional choices that encourage buying less and using more reusable products. The process can be repeated once a year to document progress or identify new items to focus on.

In most cases, shipping and packaging materials make up most of the solid waste found in a trash audit, such as cardboard, plastic wrap, and polystyrene peanuts or forms. Reducing packaging can be a challenge, but can be addressed from several angles. Buying frequently used items in bulk and reusing packaging for subsequent shipments are two options. Another option is to pressure suppliers to use less packaging or at least use environmentally friendly packing materials for shipment of their products, such as recyclable air-filled plastic bags, 100% recycled cardboard boxes and molded forms, shredded paper, newspaper, or cornstarch peanuts instead of polystyrene. In some cases, distributors will take their packaging back to reuse for other customers. If they need help, refer them to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.¹⁴

Water

Reducing water usage is a key area to address. Most international experts believe that a global water shortage will rapidly become one of the most serious issues facing our planet. The world water crisis will affect the availability of clean drinkable water (affecting health directly), water for irrigation in agriculture (affecting our food supply), and water to sustain natural ecosystems everywhere. Americans consume more water per capita than any other nation¹⁶ and take for granted our ready and seemingly unlimited sources of fresh water right out of the tap. Because global climate change will affect water quality and availability, unconscious overconsumption must be corrected through technology, policy, and individual choices and actions.

In a veterinary practice, using water-efficient washing machines and dishwashers,²⁰ low-flow toilets, and taking care not to leave faucets and hoses running are a good place to start. Installing a water catchment system on the clinic roof that delivers water into barrels for landscaping and hosing down outdoor areas is another fairly simple option. Reducing water consumption will also decrease the water bill, water heating bill, and resulting waste water or sewer bills.

Energy

Reducing energy use and switching to renewable energy sources is another important strategy to address. Simple actions such as turning off lights, using more efficient Energy Star–rated appliances and electrical devices, disconnecting standby settings, lowering or raising the thermostat a few degrees, replacing or insulating windows and doors, purchasing green power,¹⁶ and encouraging staff to bike or walk to work all have obvious benefits, from decreasing the negative impacts of fossil fuel–dependent energy systems (e.g., oil extraction and oil spills, costly delivery) to keeping down costs in an escalating market. At the outset, building a new clinic with energy conservation in mind is the best way to maximize energy efficiency, but retrofitting existing buildings is effective and worthwhile.

Waste

Reducing waste is a key strategy to a more environmentally responsible veterinary practice and is achieved by reducing consumption of materials (see earlier). It also means carefully selecting materials that must end up in the waste or recycling stream, and making sure that waste is properly taken care of after it leaves the hospital. Medical solid waste is dumped in a landfill or incinerated. In the landfill, there are issues with land use, soil contamination from chemicals and heavy metals, and runoff or groundwater contamination that threatens water supply and freshwater ecosystems. Medical waste constitutes one of the leading sources of dioxin, mercury, lead, and other pollutants that end up in the environment from incineration,^7,18 and incineration requires significant energy to burn the trash.

Over 6600 tons of waste are generated daily by American hospitals, but only about 15% of that waste is considered hazardous.¹¹ Biohazardous waste is expensive to handle, so careful disposal of hazardous materials, including drugs, will result in significant savings. Drugs that are poured down the drain and enter the sewer or municipal water system may not be removed by water treatment systems and have been documented in natural bodies of water. The American Veterinary Medical Association has developed best management practices for pharmaceutical disposal.² Although the contribution to medical waste from zoo veterinary hospitals is not significant compared with the human health care industry, veterinary practices nationwide should play a role in providing sustainable health care.