Sustainability tips for practices

It is widely accepted that our dietary choices have an impact on the environment, but how does this relate to the diet of our horses? The average 500 kg horse eats between 7.5 and 8 kg of hay per day, which equates to some 225 to 240 kg per month per horse. To produce it, a variety of grasses are grown in fields then cut, dried and bailed. Meadow hay is the most common type, consisting of a mix of plants from mature meadows including Timothy and dandelions. Other hays, differing in plant composi

The new environmental sustainability module of the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme became effective on 1st of June 2023. The requirement for all practices to have a written environmental sustainability policy is now one of the core standards, meaning that all veterinary practices, whether they are part of the Practice Standards Scheme or not must comply with this requirement. So, what is an environmental sustainability policy? This is a document that recognises the environmental impact that a bus

BEVA Sustainability Group member Julia Shrubb discusses sustainability in equine wound management. Bandaging is often a key part to wound management and results in large volumes of waste. There are also significant environmental costs, using energy and resources, to produce, transport and dispose of bandaging materials. Many people do not stop to consider what happens to waste once it has been put in the bin. There are of course financial and environmental costs to disposing of anything. “

As large animal vets, we spend a huge amount of time in our cars, and thus transport accounts for a large proportion of our environmental impact. Reduce your carbon footprint today by following these hints from BEVA’s Lucy Grieve and Callum James Haseler. Drive more efficiently Subtle changes like slowing down and accelerating smoothly can make a big difference to fuel consumption. There are companies which provide eco-driving courses and it is well worth investing in one of these at your

If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest emitter after China and the USA. Our Sustainability Working Group tells us more... Food waste is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Globally 25-30% of total food produced is wasted, wasting significant resources such as land, energy and water and contributing to 8-10% of the total man-made greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a common misconception that most food is wasted by retailers or during the food pr

Our latest article from the BEVA Sustainability Working Group explains the seemingly small, but potentially far reaching impact of using the internet. Information and communications technology (ICT) uses approximately 10% of global energy demand1, accounting for 4% of global carbon emissions2. The internet has become integral to both our personal and professional lives, including everything from emails, websites and social media, to online meetings and online shopping. Although the impact of the

Anthelmintics are important drugs used to protect our horses from internal parasites. When used according to veterinary recommendations, correctly, and in the right quantity, they treat intestinal worms and shield our horses from poor health, disease and colic. Unfortunately, their widespread and uncontrolled use has resulted in unwanted secondary effects, causing harm to both horses and the environment. Their misuse has produced resistance amongst parasites, which means it has reduced their eff

As equine vets, transport accounts for a large proportion of our carbon footprint. As we all become more cognisant of our environmental impact, our Sustainability Working Group look at ways in which we can travel more sustainably: 1. Drive more efficiently: • Subtle changes like slowing down and accelerating smoothly can make a big difference to fuel consumption. There are companies which provide eco-driving courses and it is well worth investing in one of these at your practice. • If

Human and veterinary healthcare has a significant environmental impact (Guetter et al., 2018), with a large volume of waste generated in the operating theatre. Whilst there has been a tendency towards single-use items such as gowns and drapes for the purposes of infection control and convenience, the use of these items comes at an environmental cost. Not only is there a larger carbon footprint associated with production and disposal of these items, incineration of medical plastics is a leading c