Purpose
Environmental Policy
At Mona Vale Veterinary Hospital, we understand and recognise that climate change poses a critical threat to the animals we love and care for including wildlife, livestock and companion animals.
Northern Beachs Community
With one of our core values being ‘Community’, taking care of our planet and the environment is paramount as without our planet, we wouldn’t have our amazing community. We are dedicated to integrating environmental sustainability and responsibility within all areas of our practice.
We are active participants and campaigners for *Vets for Climate Action* and have completed their *Climate Care Program*, allowing us to make positive changes in how we run our hospital. We also endorse the Australian Veterinary Associations policy on Climate Change and Animal Health, Welfare and Production
This policy outlines our goals and ongoing commitments to minimise our environmental impact and promote sustainability within Mona Vale Veterinary Hospital.
Carbon Emissions Reduction
– Install energy-efficient lighting and appliances throughout the hospital.
– Regularly monitor equipment to maintain peak efficiency.
– When required, replace equipment with energy efficient options.
– Transition to 100% renewable energy, utilizing onsite solar or green energy retailers.
– Reduce waste sent to landfill by 60%, focusing on reducing stock consumption, advocating for suppliers to use less packaging, and maximizing recycling efforts.
Waste Management
– Maximise paperless alternatives and reduce overall paper consumption.
– Maintain appropriate stock levels to minimize waste and reuse items where feasible.
– Promote reusable products, such as cloth towels and refillable containers.
– Distill water on-site to cut down on the purchase of single-use plastic drums.
– Reuse medication bottles and encourage clients to return bottles for reuse.
– Set up recycling stations for clients to recycle pet food bags.
– Set up recycling stations in clinic to recycle soft plastics, blister packs, batteries, coffee pods and small electrical items.
– Ensure proper disposal and segregation of hazardous waste in compliance with regulations.
Recycling
Pet Food Packaging
The pet food industry is one of the largest industries in the country, producing millions of products packaged in what has been traditionally hard-to-recycle packaging. Some of this packaging ends up in landfill or our oceans, causing a significant impact on our environment……That is until now!!
Royal Canin has a recycling program with TerraCycle Australia to recycle dry food bags and wet pouches to create reusable equipment (such as park benches, frisbees and agility training equipment) and reduce the amount of pet food waste going into landfill.
TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM all you have to do is return your clean and empty dry food bags and pouches to us at the clinic and we do the rest!
We’re proud to provide a solution to recycle pet food packaging through our Royal Canin Recycling Program in partnership with TerraCycle
For further reading, please head to www.royalcanin.com
Sustainable Procurement
– Partner with suppliers who offer zero-carbon products, carbon-neutral delivery, and 100% compostable or recyclable packaging.
– Require suppliers to complete a brief questionnaire regarding their zero-carbon practices.
– Purchase only 100% recycled, carbon-neutral paper products where available.
– Opt for products with minimal packaging, preferably made from recycled or compostable materials.
Water Conservation
– Install flow restrictors on all taps.
– Promptly address leaks and ensure all water systems are functioning efficiently.
– Reduce water usage when cleaning surgical instruments.
– Minimise bedding usage to cut down on washing while maintaining animal comfort.
– Continue to utilise the water tank at Mona Vale Veterinary Hospital.
– Optimise water use in garden areas.
Continuous Improvement and Monitoring
– Conduct annual environmental audits to assess progress and identify areas for improvement.
– Solicit feedback from staff on new sustainability initiatives and strategies.
– Stay informed about innovations in sustainable veterinary practices through ongoing training and industry research.
