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. Lights automatically turn on when someone enters and turn off after no movement has been detected for 5 minutes.
- Added insulation above office drop ceilings help moderate the office temperature and decrease dependency on central Heat/AC.
- We use LED lighting whenever possible.
- We have installed solar tinting on windows and make wise use of solar blinds during the hot, bright portions of the day.
- Any disposable silverware used in the office is biodegradable and compostable.
- Signs posted throughout office highlight paper usage impact.
- We host an annual tree planting event in our local community. See photos below.
- We host the “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.
