East End Veterinary Medical Centre
Going Green
Reducing our negative effect on the environment
Simply put, being “Green” means that we are taking serious steps to reduce our negative effect on the environment. We are also committed to educating our clients about these important issues.
Below are several examples of how we have and continue to accomplish our goal of going “Green”.
DURING OUR BUILDING PHASE IN 2007, WE CHOSE TO USE:
LOW VOC (VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND) PAINT
it reduces landfill, groundwater, and ozone depleting contaminants
RECYCLED STEEL IN OUR WALL STUDS
wood studs contribute to tree harvesting and demand is often higher than supply causing poortree harvesting practices
RECYCLED DRYWALL
it eliminates dumping into landfills, recycles gypsum and paper, and protects the environment
LOW FLOW FAUCETS AND SHOWER HEADS
low flow faucets can cut the water usage of faucets by as much as 40% from 4 gallons per minute to 2½
low flow shower heads use about 2½ gallons of water per minute compared to between four and five gallons per minute used by conventional heads
COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS
they are small fluorescent light bulbs that use 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and can be screwed into a regular light socket
ONCE OUR BUILDING WAS READY FOR US TO MOVE IN, WE FILLED IT WITH:
PREVIOUSLY OWNED FURNITURE
it helps to preserve our forests and natural resources, protect our atmosphere, saves energy, and saves valuable land-fill (and warehouse) space.
ALMOST ALL ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES
energy star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices
FRONT LOADER WASHER AND DRYERS
our washer uses 40 percent less water, 50 percent less energy, and significantly less detergent than a traditional top-loading washing machine would
it extracts more water from laundry, thus requiring shorter drying times
ROUGHLY 6 RECYCLING STATIONS LOCATED THROUGHOUT
the more recycling stations we have, the more likely people are to use them
A DRINKING WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM
it takes 3 times as much water to produce the bottle as it does to fill it
SINCE OPENING IN AUGUST OF 2007, WE CONTINUE OUR GREEN EFFORTS EVERYDAY BY:
USING A PAPERLESS COMPUTER CHARTING SYSTEM
none of our client/patient records are in paper form so we save, literally, tons of paper each year
USING DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY
this process uses absolutely no chemicals at all
PURCHASING AS MANY RECYCLABLE/REUSABLE VETERINARY HOSPITAL SUPPLIES AS POSSIBLEa few examples include:
some of our client brochures are printed on recycled paper
we use shredded office papers as cat litter
we reuse the packaging our vaccinations come in for collecting urine samples
and much much more!!!
EMAILING REMINDERS AND CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS TO OUR CLIENTS
again, we save tons of paper each year by using e-mail instead of mail
USING PAPER BAGS INSTEAD OF PLASTIC
not only will you find that plastic shopping bags can have a negative affect on the environment and contribute to global warming, but they can hurt both wildlife and marine life as well
USING COTTON SURGICAL CAPS AND GOWNS
we sterilize and reuse instead of having to throw away disposable gowns once they are used
OFFERING A PARKING SPACE FOR OUR CARPOOL CLIENTS IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING
bring a buddy with you and park for free around the back of our building in our carpool space…FYI your furry friend doesn’t count
OFFERING A BICYCLE RACK IN THE FRONT OF OUR BUILDING
during the warm months, our clients can ride their bike to us instead of driving their car
