{"id":1927,"date":"2020-06-20T03:19:14","date_gmt":"2020-06-20T01:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.assistenteveterinario.it\/?p=1927"},"modified":"2020-06-20T03:20:14","modified_gmt":"2020-06-20T01:20:14","slug":"a-sustainable-veterinary-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistenteveterinario.com\/en\/a-sustainable-veterinary-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"A sustainable veterinary practice"},"content":{"rendered":"
How can we act more responsibly towards the environment?<\/p>\n
In the everyday reality of a veterinary practice it is very difficult to say ‘we recycle’. Many wastes are dangerous <\/b>or anatomical <\/b>waste that must be collected individually.<\/p>\n
However, much more can be done within our capabilities and try to be a sustainable and eco-friendly <\/b>veterinary practice.<\/p>\n
I have always been attentive <\/b>to the environmental <\/b>issue.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of my university career I was undecided whether to follow my passion for animals or for ecology and the environment.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, one does not necessarily exclude the other.<\/p>\n
I chose animal health but the interest in the environment and our ecological footprint has always attracted me.<\/p>\n
Only when I started working in a practice I realized the amount of waste generated, the harmful chemicals used and the large amount of energy consumed for the daily running of a practice.<\/p>\n
The veterinary profession is known for compassion for the natural world and all living things. We have the responsibility to lead an example for everyone and to do it with enthusiasm and energy starting with our little one to contribute together to a great positive change for the planet and all animals.<\/p>\n
Discover more: Illustrations from assistenteveterinario.it<\/a><\/p>\n In the veterinary sector, it is difficult to speak of eco-friendly if you think, above ,all the problem of the use of drugs.<\/p>\n One of the problems that comes from this, is certainly the increase in antibiotic resistance, both for animals and for us human beings.<\/p>\n Certainly, this is not the only cause but among the first places, we certainly find the unaware use <\/b>of antibiotics<\/b>.<\/p>\n This is obviously caused by general misinformation about it.<\/p>\n One of the causes of problems caused by antibiotic resistance in pets, however, is the poor management of the therapies by the owners <\/b>who often stop the administration before the deadline prescribed by the veterinary surgeon.<\/p>\n But is being more sustainable good for a veterinary practice?<\/p>\n Sometimes when you think of sustainable\/eco-friendly\/biodegradable, you automatically think of the price. Indeed, certain eco-friendly products are considered a luxury, precisely because of the exaggerated cost. <\/p>\n This obviously is part of a much larger paradox that we cannot overturn on our own.<\/p>\n Read more: How to become Vet Nurse in Italy: education and tips<\/a><\/p>\n Furthermore, in medicine, it is very difficult for something to be ‘reusable’ and not disposable. The sterility of many tools used for therapies is guaranteed precisely by the disposable and individual plastic wrapping. However, it is possible to reuse <\/b>specially sterilized gowns and drapes, as well as surgical towels and hats.<\/p>\n These are purely general advice and guidance intended to inform and make available some information. Some of these practices may be trivial or may not be practicable for all veterinary practices.<\/p>\n Which translates to:<\/p>\n Read more: The skills of the veterinary nurse<\/a><\/p>\n This means:<\/p>\n So:<\/p>\n Making sure that a veterinary practice’s waste management is efficient is the first step towards sustainable practice.<\/p>\n Many wastes are classified as special or extraordinary. Anatomical waste, for example, but also pieces and batteries of special machinery and dangerous medicines must be recycled critically.<\/p>\n The packaging problem also affects pet food.<\/p>\n Single-dose bags of dry food are often made of plastic covered with a silver interior. By removing the remains of food it is possible to collect them with plastic. Be careful though, because not in all neighborhoods it is so and the directives change from state to state.<\/p>\n If your practice also supplies dog food, inquire about ways to collect the bags of feed offered as a collection site and contact an entity that is responsible for disposing of or reusing and recycling these materials responsibly.<\/p>\n In England, Terracycle deals with collecting and recycling pet food containers and thus giving them a second life.<\/p>\nSo how can we protect them?<\/h3>\n
What is the real cost on the planet?<\/h3>\n
So how to reduce the waste of a veterinary practice?<\/h3>\n
A sustainable veterinary practice<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nReduce and reuse the paper<\/h3>\n
\n
Introduce bins for separate collection<\/h3>\n
\n
Improve waste management<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n