Solutions company for health care professionals Henry Schein has announced Practice Green — an international initiative designed to encourage practitioners, practice teams, and dental laboratories to become more eco-friendly and to help empower the health care community to establish sustainable practices.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, and heat stress. Nurses are said to be instrumental in working with hospitals and health systems to reduce emissions and influencing the adoption of strategies to better prepare health care facilities and communities for the health impacts of climate change, according to reports.
A selection of environmentally-friendly products and solutions will be available, as well as services and support to help create greener practices. They are selected by Henry Schein as ‘green’ based on information provided by the supplier partner for the product that it is either reusable, recycled, biodegradable, or is from a sustainable source.
Mike Engle, managing director Henry Schein NZ said, “Businesses have a role in helping drive positive environmental change in NZ. Practice Green reflects our commitment to aiding our customers through their sustainability journey.”
The programme started in July and will continue to expand over time, with new products, services, and solutions added as Practice Green evolves with the changing health care landscape.
As part of the company’s activities around Practice Green, Henry Schein NZ also announced its partnership with NZ environmental health service Toitū Envirocare and the recent achievement of the Toitū enviromark bronze certification.
The Toitū enviromark programme ensures organisations are managing environmental impacts through a mentoring approach. Through this independently audited programme, organisations develop, implement, and maintain an environmental management system (EMS).
The company is strengthening its approach to measuring, monitoring, and reporting on its carbon emissions and other environmental impacts. In 2021, Henry Schein signed the business ambition for 1.5⁰C Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), committing to set a long-term, science-based emissions reduction target in order to reach net-zero global emissions by 2050.
