Author Donna P. Tully
Anyone who has worked in the medical field knows how much waste is produced and must be dealt with.
At All Pets Animal Hospital, we’re making an effort to reduce our waste and make a difference in our impact on the environment. Here are a few ways we’ve gone “green”:
In 2007, we installed an oxygen scavenging system for use in the surgery suite. This state of the art unit scavenges oxygen from the environment, filters it, making it available as pure oxygen for our surgery patients. Therefore, reducing impact on the environment through the process of compressing atmospheric gases, transportation cost of purchased oxygen tanks, not to mention the cost of buying oxygen.
In November 2008, we purchased a high-definition digital radiography machine. Requiring less power than traditional radiography units, digital x-rays require no processing leaving no toxic chemicals to breathe, change and dispose of. Silver is a by-product of processing traditional radiographic films, making the disposal process more involved to remain environmentally friendly. The digital radiographic unit produces high-definition radiographs which can be manipulated via computer. This technology results in fewer x-rays being taken, less radiation produced, decreasing radiation exposure to our patients and technicians.
We’ve also installed a hospital air filtration system which removes 99.9% of pollutants from the hospital. This is the same system found in human hospitals making the air our patients, clients, and staff breathe, healthier.
We recycle our office paper waste. What paper isn’t recycled we use for shipping product and kitty litter for de-claw patients after surgery. All cardboard boxes are broken down and recycled as well.
All plastic bottles, tin cans and acceptable refuse is recycled.
Having experienced several years of drought, we contemplated how we could maintain our beautiful landscape and not further tax the aquifers. Earlier this year, catch barrels were connected to the gutters, allowing collected rain water to be used for irrigation.
Certain medical refuse can be sterilized in a high heat autoclave and reused for minor procedures, thus reducing waste in the landfill.
We’re exploring other avenues of going green such as wind turbines and solar panels, passive solar heat.
A small effort makes a big impact on the environment!
This is pretty incredible… Kudos to you for making all the extra effort (and paying the extra expenses) that help save the environment!