“Do it for the planet – and for your own pocketbook!”
Sustainability scans for veterinary practices
More than a year ago, an enthusiastic group of veterinarians committed themselves to increasing sustainability in the field of veterinary medicine. Hans Nieuwendijk is the chair of this foundation, De Groene Veterinair (The Green Vet). “There's so much going on! We want to make sure we learn from one another, and that we motivate each other. Because let’s be honest: compared to the human healthcare sector, we veterinarians have a lot of catching up to do.”
“All too often, I still get surprised looks from veterinarians when I start talking about ideas for increasing sustainability,” says Hans Nieuwendijk. “The willingness is there, but also concern about the costs spiralling out of control if they just charge ahead. Whether it’s a matter of replacing the fluorescent tubes in the practice with LED bulbs, reusing medical aids to reduce waste or reducing the use of greenhouses gases like isoflurane [an inhaled anaesthetic, red.].”
An easy reduction
Nieuwendijk himself studied veterinary medicine and gave lectures on anaesthesia for thirty years. He discovered it was possible to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “As veterinarians, we’re really too quick to reach for the isoflurane out of habit. Sometimes it’s not necessary at all for a simple procedure, or there’s another drug we could administer by injection to achieve the same end. That’s what we do when a colleague in the practice is pregnant, so you want to avoid using isoflurane in the building for that reason. You can also reduce the amount of oxygen administered. I think as a sector, we could easily cut out 50 per cent of what we use.”
Preserving our planet’s liveability
The human healthcare sector is taking great strides to reduce its ecological footprint, according to Nieuwendijk. Numerous hospitals are carefully exploring ways to reduce and recycle their waste. “In the past, everything was discarded together as ‘contaminated waste’, first in a yellow container and then in the incinerator. A tremendous waste, really.” Nieuwendijk is talking with businesses that specialise in recycling waste flows from human hospitals and GP practices to see if they could partner with the veterinary medicine sector as well. He’s also exploring whether certain surgical materials, such as specific ‘single-use’ items, might be reused safely. “We want to preserve the liveability of our planet and our footprint is much too large. But I also know that veterinarians tend to be very cost-conscious by nature.” He laughs: “We should take advantage of that quality!”
Inspiring other veterinarians
Fellow members of De Groene Veterinair’s board are Sandra Haven-Pross and Anton Fennema. Haven-Pross works as a lecturer at Aeres ľϸӰ of Applied Sciences in Dronten and strives to promote attention for sustainability in training programmes for veterinarians and paraveterinary staff. In her opinion, even the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht ľϸӰ could benefit from greater attention to sustainability. In 2021, AniCura awarded Anton Fennema its sustainability award, the ‘Golden Tail Wag’. Fennema had 150 solar panels installed on the roof of his practice and is religious about separating waste flows. A portion of the land surrounding his practice is managed by the Hoekschewaards Landschap in order to promote biodiversity – efforts which include a nesting box for kestrels and a bug hotel. Fennema has greatly reduced the use of isoflurane in his practice, which will also become fully gas-free before the end of this year. He hopes his example will inspire other veterinarians.
A need for concrete tips
At the request of De Groene Veterinair, students are currently conducting a sustainability scan of veterinary practices. The board members themselves seek out farmers, too. “In June, we attended the Utrecht Vet Event in the Utrechtse Jaarbeurs,” says Nieuwendijk. “An enormous event with around a thousand visitors.” In the conversations he had there, he was once again struck by the extent of the veterinarians’ need for expertise. They want concrete tips: for instance, if they are planning to renovate their practice and want to learn how to do so as sustainably as possible. “I get that. In other countries, there are already organisations that are further along than De Groene Veterinair. Our website needs to become a resource for people seeking answers and a place where we bundle knowledge. Anyone who wants to help us achieve this is most welcome here.”
Working together to support practices in increasing sustainability
De Groene Veterinair foundation cooperates with various parties, including pharmaceutical companies; wholesalers like Covetrus; the Royal Dutch Society for Veterinary Medicine; Dactari; chains like Evidensia, AniCura and CVS; and education & training institutions such as Aeres ľϸӰ of Applied Sciences, Yuverta and Curio. Numerous independent practices are affiliated as well. Together, they want to offer veterinary practices coordinated assistance in making their businesses more sustainable. The challenges in connection with the environment are numerous and at times quite complex. Chair Hans Nieuwendijk says: “It is certainly not our intent to force new legislation or compulsory agreements. Everything is happening on a voluntary basis and – most importantly – motivated by the realisation that something has to be done now. And that’s our goal!”