NET ZERO COMMITMENT

Castle Quay [ Hereford ]Limited recognises its responsibility in the transition towards its goal to be Net Zero by 2050 alongside other English dental and NHS businesses. To achieve this goal a number of steps are to be undertaken by the business and the staff associated to it.

Amongst these are the reduction in the use of electricity by changing to LED across the practice buildings and LEDs as the main clinical lighting within the surgery areas. The consumption of electricity will further be reduced by using automatic switching to ensure lighting is efficiently managed during opening hours with the least number of units powered up over non-working times as possible, but within the remit of continuing business activities. The loading of high powered consumer units such as washer disinfectors and autoclaves are to be maximised by careful management of full loads before starting their cycles to reduce their larger prolonged electrical demands.

The intention to use solar power to offset the practice consumption from a roof top array is to be costed and implemented as soon as possible.

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Similarly the gas usage will be carefully monitored and thermostatic controls employed to keep the internal working areas warm when required but switched off as soon as the temperature is reached. Non-working days [ currently weekends ] are to be programmed to be frost free but not full temperature.

The staff are to be encouraged to reduce their personal carbon footprint by walking or cycling to work with suitable facilities to encourage safe bike storage and internal locker storage and changing facilities for personal clothing. In house laundry will cut the number of loads required to clean clinical scrub clothing for all staff with ample supply of the clothing available to reduce the need for single washing of scarce items.

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The car sharing opportunities are to be taken to limit the number of vehicles on the roads and though choice electric vehicles should be championed where ever possible.

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The reduction in the use of plastics is to be at the forefront in the advertising and sales of non-plastic brushes within the starter packs and on sale through the practice. The use of QR codes to reduce paper printing for instruction leaflets and limiting the need to print and post out paper letters by hand delivery of these items at appointment is to be encouraged. Similarly the use of e mails and texts are to be favoured to reduce paper consumption and printing of all routine correspondence.

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Sorting and recycling will be encouraged for all the current waste streams with special attention to the purchasing of greener items that are bio-degradable or returning to the use of metal instead of single use plastics where ever possible.

The small changes process is to be taken up across the business to reduce the carbon footprint with new and innovative interventions to be added as they become known.

 

David Evans

Director CQ [Hereford ] Ltd.

March 2026.