Investing in Our Planet by Promoting Sustainability
April 22, 2022Ethos Veterinary Health Commemorates Earth Day
WOBURN, MA – April 22, 2022: Ethos Veterinary Health commemorates the 52nd annual Earth Day to promote environmental awareness for the protection of our planet. The veterinary industry’s energy usage and waste generation can negatively impact the environment, and Ethos has taken strides to reduce our carbon footprint, while continuing to provide quality veterinary care. Improving environmental sustainability is part of the seven-year strategic plan, because the team at Ethos believes that preserving the planet’s resources for future generations is crucial. Ethos strongly believes that its responsibility doesn’t end with keeping pets healthy. We should also treat our planet like we treat our patients.
G. Ames Prentiss, CEO of Ethos Veterinary Health, said, “We only have one planet, and without government policies and regulations to help guide us in a direction to care for it, I believe corporate partners need to drive the change to improve environmental sustainability.”
Ethos Veterinary Health has taken action to promote sustainability by launching the Ethos Environmental Social Responsibility Program to develop national programs that target environment friendly process improvements across the enterprise. We highlight a specific initiative every month to ensure all team members are aware of how these issues impact the environment. Our main objectives include moving all locations toward renewable energy sources, reducing waste sourcing compostable products, recycling, creating programs to reduce fossil fuel consumption by commuting team members, using LEED-certified lighting, and implementing LEED-certified or comparable standards in the construction of all new facilities.
Margot LaPointe, Vice President of Supply Chain Operations at Ethos, said, “It is important that our team members, the community and our clients know we care about these topics, and we have about 20 passionate volunteers who are organizing activities around Earth Day to ensure our clients are aware of our focus on sustainability, and the actions we are taking to address these issues.”
On April 15, 2021, Ethos Veterinary Health launched an order consolidation program for all Ethos hospitals, to reduce packaging waste and transportation. This program has reduced solid waste by 1,390 pounds, lowered greenhouse gas emissions by 16,300 CO2 equivalents, decreased total energy use by 51.5 million BTUs, and reduced water usage by 45,100 gallons as calculated using the Environmental Paper Network Paper Calculator Version 4.0.
Other “Green Light” projects implemented in 2021 included:
- Switching to cloth versus disposable surgical gowns
- Increasing water conservation and recycling contributions
- Using biodegradable pharmacy bags and breakroom supplies
- Implementing a battery recycling program
- Defaulting all printers to double-sided
- Installing energy- and water-efficient laundry equipment
- Purchasing environmentally friendly surface disinfectants in bulk
“We have built in requirements in our quarterly business reviews for our vendor partners to share their sustainability strategies, to ensure they have a focus on the environment, and we will continue to source products from environmentally friendly organizations who have formal strategic plans concerning sustainability,” LaPointe said.
Ethos Veterinary Health is taking these steps to exemplify promoting environmental awareness in the veterinary industry, and to encourage other hospitals to prioritize sustainability.
“Sustainability is an important issue for humanity. It’s an existential issue–not a one industry issue or a one country issue,” Prentiss said. “I want Ethos to change our behavior to do whatever we can to be more environmentally conscious.”