Nearly everything that humans do makes carbon dioxide. It’s this greenhouse gas that is responsible for the man-made change in climate. This may be why companies are starting to consider the environment and what part they can play in saving the world. One of these ways is making companies carbon neutral.
In setting up my dental practice to be carbon neutral, I wanted to do 2 things. One was to make people LIKE visiting the dentist, and the other was to help the planet. To become environmental friendly, I decided to cut down on as many emissions as I could. The ones I couldn’t cut down on, I offset through investing in various organizations worldwide such as forestation and technology.
There are only a few dentists that are serious about making the planet safer while offering quality dental services. I’m proud to be one of those dentists. To aggressively help with the environmental issues, I decided to make my practice eco-friendly. Following are some of the steps I took to accomplish this:
• Adding anti-bacterial flooring procured from a sustainable resource
• Taking only digital X-rays as the traditional ones cause chromium waste
• Using the most energy efficient air conditioning units available
• Installing insulation that minimizes heat loss from the floors, walls, windows and ceilings through the use of 40 percent recycled glass, limestone and sand
These steps got me started and I went even further so that I was actually doing my part for the environment and am now running a green dentistry business.
Carbon neutral businesses are still very rare, but those of us that are involved in this movement to save the planet take it very seriously. I hope that my passion will encourage other dentists and businesses to do the same.
If you’re a dentist ready to turn your practice into a green one, your first step should be to speak to businesses have already taken the plunge. This is where you’ll get your best advice and excitement that will fuel your passion for becoming carbon neutral.
As a carbon neutral Kingston dentist, I’m very pleased and proud that I’ve been able to turn my dentistry practice into one that is not only saving me money but is also healthier for the environment.
