Sustainability Efforts
Running an environmentally sustainable medical practice is a top priority for us. Below is a list of some of our ongoing efforts:
- Our clinic is housed in a LEED certified building.
- Green Core Electric certifies that we are 100 % wind powered. Annually, this saves 24,800 gallons of water, prevents 19,200 pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere, and is the CO2 equivalent of planting 226 trees.
- We compost all paper towel waste (which is a ton in a doctors office!)
- Light sensors have been installed in the staff bathroom, break room, and patient bathroom – such that lights automatically turn on when someone enters, but then turn off after no movement has been detected for 5 minutes.
- Added insulation above office drop ceilings to help moderate the office temperature and to decrease dependency on central Heat/AC.
- Use LED lighting whenever possible.
- We have solar tinting on windows and make wise use of solar blinds during the hot, bright portions of the day.
- All disposable silverware used in the office is biodegradable and compostable.
- Signs are posted throughout office regarding paper usage, and its impact.
- We host an annual tree planting event in our local community. See photos below.
- We host the annual “Mountain Medicine Festival” whose aim is to become an annual benefit for local non-profits that are environmentally minded, and to help raise funding and participation in their projects.
Ideas Moving Forward:
- Plan another event with Asheville Greenworks for trash cleanup or planting.
- Institute a monthly day where office staff are encouraged to walk, bike, or carpool to work.
- Revitalize signs posted re: paper usage (people tend to stop paying attention to something that has been the same for a long time).
- Re-initiate tracking our electrical usage, and posting it on the board.
- Acquire dual flush toilets to replace our current ones.
- Consult an advisor to assess how our office structure can become more energy efficient.
- Calculate our Office Carbon Footprint to help understand our current impact, and plan further improvements.
