Small changes around a dental practice can be good for the environment, as well as the safety and happiness of patients and clinicians.
From different uses of practice spaces to the items used in everyday workflows, it’s possible to go green with effective choices.
Create green spaces
With many dental practices located in converted houses rejuvenating green spaces can be a fun task for the dental practice team. It can also make the practice a more welcoming space for patients. This is an added bonus for those that may feel anxious about attending their appointment.
Utilising garden spaces on practice grounds and even adding in bird and/or bug houses can help to increase biodiversity in the local area.
The Green Impact initiative, run by Students Organising for Sustainability United Kingdom, the NHS and the Office of Chief Dental Officer England, encourages practices to look into implementing such ideas. In their Dentistry Impact Report 2024, participants noted the impact on the community in the practice, with increased biodiversity sparking conversations about the birds seen outside.
Projects such as the NHS Forest can also provide inspiration for actions you can take, including growing herbs and vegetables in underused green spaces.
Anything like this can be a simple but fun change for clinical teams and patients alike, and productive use of green space!
What else can you do to be greener?
Setting up a vegetable garden may not be an option for your practices but there are other areas where you can look to be greener. Could you reduce your amalgam use by providing more composite fillings, and in turn reduce mercury waste production, for example? The amalgam ban that took place across many European countries at the start of the year was a step taken due to the toxicity of mercury, and its potential effects on human health and the environment.
Another simple change is identifying single-use plastics throughout the practice. An initial investment into reusable solutions can reduce the need for landfill and incineration.
More organised waste workflows
Since the items the practice discards will have a significant impact on the environment, it’s important that they’re thrown away in the correct manner.
This includes appropriate segregation in line with Health Technical Memorandum 07-01. To do this effectively, clinicians need eco-friendly containers on hand, with guidance in place to reduce misplacement of items into more hazardous waste streams, which would require disposal methods like incineration or landfill.
Initial Medical, the renowned UK healthcare waste management service, supports dental practices with their green targets. With environmentally friendly waste containers, such as the Griff Pac – which is made from at least 70% recycled plastic and available in a range of colours.
You can also access free-to-download Colour Coding Posters from Initial Medical, which help dental teams accurately segregate waste at disposal points.
Learn more by contacting the Initial Medical team today.
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