22 Sept 2022
The Minster Veterinary Practice in York, which set up a clothing bank so clients could drop off unwanted items, has earned a top-level Investors in the Environment green award.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Minster Vets veterinary trio (left to right): Josie Arthur, Becky Sedman and Becky Thompson next to the clothes bank, proudly displaying their Investors in the Environment award.
A veterinary practice that launched a clothing bank on behalf of charity so clients could drop off unwanted items has earned a prestigious award.
The Minster Veterinary Practice in York encouraged everyone to recycle old clothes and turn them into cash for its chosen charity, The Cinnamon Trust.
The bank, operated at the Salisbury Road site by Wilcox Textile Reclaimers and Processors, was just one of a number of initiatives introduced by the practice.
Having previously earned the silver award from the Investors in the Environment (iiE), Minster has now achieved the top-level green award. The iiE accreditation scheme aims to help organisations reduce their impact on the environment by cutting resource use and waste production.
In the past 12 months, Minster has reduced its electricity and gas use by 17% and 27% respectively, and more than halved the waste it generates.
The sustainability efforts are overseen by vet Becky Sedman, who said: “The whole team has been so enthusiastic about becoming more environmentally friendly, and the initiatives we have introduced have helped us to make a big reduction in our carbon footprint.”
Dr Sedman added: “As well as recycling, we have swapped to more eco-friendly consumables, such as syringes and recycled buster collars, and we use 100% renewable electricity on-site.
“The heatwave highlighted how delicate our planet is and how important it is that we protect it. Seeing people’s pets and wildlife suffering in the high temperatures was scary.
“Small changes have made a big difference, and there has been a collective effort by the practice team and our clients. We are not just protecting the pets we look after, we look at the bigger picture of how we can protect biodiversity too.”
The Cinnamon Trust, which the practice supports, is a national charity providing support for elderly and terminally ill pet owners needing practical help; for instance, with dog walking or fostering.
