Goldsworth Road Sustainability

15/08/2023

Caring for you, your dental health – and our planet!

At Goldsworth Road Dental Centre we are modern, forward-looking and believe in providing excellent care – and that includes caring for the environment in which we live and work.

Silver award winners!

Over the past couple of years, we have been making lots of more sustainable changes to the way we run our dental practice, making greener choices wherever possible. We are delighted to have achieved a silver award from Susnet Sustainable Healthcare Networks, a UK-based charity that has been working for over a decade to advance the sustainability of the healthcare industry.

Toothbrush & toothpaste recycling point

Our practice is proud to house a recycling point for Terracycle Colgate to make it easy for patients to recycle their toothbrushes and toothpaste. This has proved very successful with the wider community of Woking and lots of people now bring their dental items to us, which we then send off for recycling.

Amalgam free

We have now stopped providing amalgam fillings in our practice and now only provide white composite. Dental amalgam is one of the most commonly used materials in restorative dentistry. However, one of its major components, mercury, is of particular concern due to its potential adverse effects on humans and the environment. The environmental impact of dental mercury is mainly due to the poor management of dental amalgam waste, so to be on the safe side, we have ceased using it altogether.

Digital x-rays

Digital x-rays produce 80% less radiation than traditional radiographs. We have invested in digital x-raying technology and software to reduce the amount of radiation being released into the atmosphere.

Here are some of the green changes we have made…

Green energy from Ecotricity, which is also vegan.
We recycle our dental waste wherever possible.
Investment in brand new air conditioning and lighting to reduce energy.
Re-usable and recyclable suction tips for decontamination.
Recyclable paper cups for use by patients.
Sustainable dental products for sale in our shop.
Silver Award from Susnet in 2020.
Efficient hand dryers installed to reduce paper towel use.
Plants and gardening around our practice to encourage bees and other pollinators.
Reduced printing through digitalisation, our patient portal booking system and the use of emails.
Fairtrade coffee, tea and sugar for our team.

If you would like to find out more about the ways in which we are helping the environment and reducing our carbon footprint, please get in touch.

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