Sustainability at Edhen Vets

At Edhen Vets, we believe that looking after animal health also means taking responsibility for the environment we all share. Healthy pets rely on a healthy planet, and as a veterinary practice we recognise that our work has an environmental impact.

We are committed to continually reducing our carbon footprint while maintaining the highest standards of patient care. Sustainability is not something we see as a one-off project, but as an ongoing part of how we make decisions as a business.

We are continually reviewing how we work to identify practical ways to reduce waste, improve efficiency and make more environmentally responsible choices. Wherever possible, we aim to balance excellent clinical care with environmentally sustainable practices.

Reducing waste is one of the simplest ways we can lessen our environmental impact. Across our practices, we have introduced a number of measures to minimise waste while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and patient care.

These include:

• Paperless clinical records, reducing our reliance on printed documentation.
• Digital invoices, estimates and consent forms wherever possible.
• Careful segregation of clinical, recyclable and general waste to ensure materials are disposed of appropriately.
• Recycling cardboard, paper, printer cartridges and batteries.
• Reducing unnecessary single use plastics wherever clinical safety and patient care allow.

We continually review our working practices to identify further opportunities to reduce waste and improve recycling.

Lowering our carbon footprint is an important part of our long-term commitment to sustainability. We regularly assess how our buildings and day-to-day operations can become more energy efficient.

Our current initiatives include:

• LED lighting throughout our practices.
• Smart heating controls to improve energy efficiency.
• Monitoring our energy usage and setting annual sustainability goals.
• Supporting local suppliers wherever possible, helping to reduce transport emissions while supporting local businesses.
• Careful stock ordering to reduce deliveries, minimise packaging and prevent medicines and consumables from expiring unnecessarily.

Every improvement, however small, contributes towards reducing our environmental impact.

Medicines are essential to providing excellent veterinary care, but they also have an environmental impact. We are committed to using medicines responsibly and following evidence-based prescribing principles.

This includes:

• Avoiding unnecessary medication wherever clinically appropriate.
• Careful stock management to reduce expired medicines and unnecessary waste.
• Encouraging clients to return unused or expired medications to the practice so they can be disposed of safely, rather than entering household waste or water systems.

Our priority will always be delivering the very best care for our patients while using veterinary medicines thoughtfully and responsibly.

Medicines are essential to providing excellent veterinary care, but they also have an environmental impact. We are committed to using medicines responsibly and following evidence-based prescribing principles.

This includes:

• Avoiding unnecessary medication wherever clinically appropriate.
• Careful stock management to reduce expired medicines and unnecessary waste.
• Encouraging clients to return unused or expired medications to the practice so they can be disposed of safely, rather than entering household waste or water systems.

Our priority will always be delivering the very best care for our patients while using veterinary medicines thoughtfully and responsibly.

When we built our first practice, we made a deliberate choice to source quality second-hand equipment from around the country; items with many years of reliable service still ahead of them, rather than adding to the demand for new manufacturing. Where equipment needed attention, we refurbished it rather than replacing it and we have adopted the same approach for our newer practices, Newquay and Camborne.

Protecting the wider environment benefits wildlife, pets and the communities we serve. As a local independent practice, we recognise our responsibility to support the natural environment and continually look for opportunities to reduce our environmental impact.

By making more sustainable choices in the way we operate today, we hope to contribute to a healthier environment for future generations of people, pets and wildlife.

We have dedicated team members within the practice who act as our sustainability champions — continually reviewing the products we use and looking for more environmentally friendly alternatives, so this stays an active priority rather than an afterthought.

Sustainability is a journey rather than a destination. We regularly review our environmental performance and continue to explore new technologies, products and ways of working that will further reduce our carbon footprint.

Our environmental objectives include:

• Continuing to reduce waste throughout the practice.
• Improving energy efficiency across all of our sites.
• Reviewing suppliers and purchasing decisions with sustainability in mind.
• Reducing our overall carbon footprint year on year.
• Supporting our local environment and community wherever possible.

We draw on guidance from organisations such as Vet Sustain and continue to learn from best practice across the veterinary profession. As new evidence and innovations emerge, we will continue to adapt, improve and invest in more sustainable ways of delivering outstanding veterinary care.

Looking after animals means looking after the world they live in, and we’re proud to play our part.

Targeted Parasite Prevention

At Edhen Vets, we believe parasite prevention should be tailored to each individual pet, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. By assessing each pet’s lifestyle and risk factors, we can help ensure they receive the protection they need while avoiding unnecessary treatments.

Where appropriate, we offer worm egg counts as an alternative to routine worming. These laboratory tests identify whether intestinal worms are present, allowing treatment to be targeted only when it is needed. This can help reduce the amount of antiparasitic medication entering the environment, while still maintaining excellent standards of pet health.

For external parasites, we increasingly recommend flea and tick repellents where clinically appropriate. These products help prevent parasites from attaching in the first place and can reduce the need for repeated insecticidal treatments.

We also offer titre testing for suitable pets. By measuring existing immunity to certain infectious diseases, titre testing can help identify when a pet remains protected, potentially reducing unnecessary vaccinations while ensuring their health is not compromised.

Recognising that every pet and owner are different, our E365 Health Plans provide flexibility. Alongside our Signature plan, we also offer an Essentials health plan that does not include routine flea and worm treatments. This allows owners who prefer a more evidence-based, targeted approach to parasite control to access the benefits of our health plans while making informed decisions with their veterinary team.

Our aim is simple: to provide the highest standard of preventive healthcare while using medicines responsibly, protecting both our patients and the wider environment.