Garston Vets crowned top dog for their green initiatives

Garston Veterinary Group has been crowned ‘Green Veterinary Practice of the Year 2023′ at The Webinar Vet’s Virtual Congress.

The Webinar Vet’s Green Awards celebrate individuals and practices who embody green credentials and who demonstrate sustainability in their work and are hosted in collaboration with the environmental accreditation scheme, Investors in the Environment.

“We are immensely proud to be at the forefront of the drive towards sustainability within our sector, and we promise to continue working hard towards the ‘Investors in the Environment Award’ and reducing the practice’s carbon footprint,” said Sarah Holmes, Garston’s marketing manager.

“The whole Garston team have embraced the move away from single-use plastic, for example, phasing in washable fabric theatre hats and masks, swapping disposable to reusable wipes, increasing recycling efforts and promoting the use of environmentally friendly products, such as bamboo pet toothbrushes and paper bags for waiting room purchases.

“The use of nitrous oxide (an inhalational pain killer and potent greenhouse gas), has reduced to zero over the past year, and we have moved to using a wider range of injectable pain killers during anaesthetics instead.

“In 2019, with the support of the Garston partners, vets Sian Naylor and Alice Moore, decided to set up their own sustainability team, known as the ‘Garston Green Team’. The team is made up of staff from all departments, including practice partners, vets, nurses and members of the admin department, with representatives from their farm, equine and small animal surgeries.

“The Garston Green Team have planted many ‘bee friendly’ garden pots at their surgeries, along with swapping all computer desktop search engines to Ecosia, who plant trees every time staff members run an internet search.

“The Green Team has also been busy creating their own staff sustainable living Facebook page, swapping all surgery bulbs to LED, and creating a protocol for efficient use of the practice heating and air conditioning systems; not to mention reduced paper printing, battery, medication blister packs and pet food pouch recycling.

“Warminster lead nurse, Gemma Ockendon, has also encouraged many staff members to donate to a local foodbank, instead of sending Christmas cards to each other.”

Garston Vets in Westbury can be found in the Market Place. BA13 3DE. Tel 01373 301448.

Pictured: The Green Team L to R Sarah Colin-Stokes, Emily Standen, Andrew Simmons, Alice Moore, Richard Talbot, Gemma Ockendon, Victoria Houghton and Claire Twomey.