The veterinary industry produces a lot of waste every year. Many items that we use in practice are, by necessity, single use and the majority of these contain plastic. One of our main objectives at Wrights’ Vets is to try our best to reduce our waste and to use more eco-friendly products. Our aim is to recycle as much as possible. Some of the ways we are trying to be green are:

• We have chosen an electricity company that uses 100% renewable sources
• We will attempt to have all communication with our clients (including reminders, invoices and receipts) via text or email unless requested otherwise
• All of our consent forms (including hospitalisation, anaesthetic and euthanasia) are electronic and signed digitally
• We are reducing the number of clinical records that are printed, already having fully digital lab reports and dental records
• Our staff pension schemes are invested in sustainable and ecologically friendly industries
• Through our suppliers we have found alternative materials to plastic where possible i.e. the litter trays and feeding bowls used for hospitalised patients are made from bamboo
• Where this is not possible we have chosen products which are the most recyclable on the market i.e. buster collars, microchips
• The gloves we use in the consulting room will normally be made from biodegradable nitrile, rather than plastic
• The syringes we use will normally be those manufactured using 100% renewable energy
• Our anaesthetic machines recycle more of the exhaled gas allowing much less to be used, and much less to escape into the environment
• Many of the fixtures and fittings in the practice have been recycled from the building’s previous tenants
• The clinical teams’ uniforms are made from recycled plastic bottles
• We recycle our used syringes, packaging and can even recycle empty and washed pet food packets for clients
• We have reduced our medicine and consumable deliveries (except in emergencies) to help reduce our carbon footprints
• We plant trees in Yorkshire to offset the impact of cremation after euthanasias