(Photo Credit: Ken Reid)Banfield Pet Hospital, the world’s largest general veterinary practice, reduced its carbon footprint, cut waste, and saved on hospital costs in 2017, according to their newly published CSR report.
Part of Mars Incorporated, Banfield has more than 1,000 hospitals and over 3,500 veterinarians nationwide. The practice also has a strategic partnership with specialty pet retailer PetSmart that dates back to 1994.
Over the course of 2017, Banfield installed LED lighting in 25 new hospitals, bringing the total to 86 LED-equipped hospitals across their network. The move cut lighting energy consumption by approximately 60%, the CSR report says. They also recycled 22,000 fluorescent lamp light bulbs.
The veterinary practice continued a project to convert hospital flooring from vinyl to ceramic tile, reducing the need to use chemical-heavy products for clinic maintenance. In 2017, they installed 180 ceramic tile floors, which Banfield says saves $4,000 – $7,000 in annual floor care costs for each hospital.
On the waste side, Banfield reported that they reached their goal of recycling 1 million needles and syringes. In 2017, the hospitals also recycled 852,000 pounds of paper, ultimately saving more than 11 million gallons of water and 962,825 kilowatt-hours of energy.
June marked the one-year anniversary of Banfield’s move from Portland, Oregon to new headquarters in Vancouver, Washington. The veterinary practice’s headquarters earned LEED Platinum certification in January 2017.
Environmental features of the new headquarters include:
“We are constantly seeking new and better ways to understand, measure and ultimately reduce our impact on the environment,” the report says. In 2017, Banfield’s hospitals and associates cared for 767,500 cats, 3.1 million dogs, and supported 13.5 million pet visits.
The 3rd Annual Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference takes place May 15 – 17, 2018 in Denver. Learn more here.
