Member Article

Liverpool Veterinary Practice Builds A Greener Future With Novel Recycling Scheme

White Cross Vets in Gateacre has found a novel way of dealing with the large amounts of waste plastic that pharmaceutical and other sterile products are packed in, after turning it into environmentally friendly building blocks.

The process sees all types of plastic wrapping tightly packed into plastic bottles, which creates a reusable ‘ecobrick’. These can then be joined together using tyres, silicone, cob, or cement, and used for a wide range of purposes in gardens, play parks and for making all types of structures with.

The ecobrick initiative was launched by the Global Ecobrick Alliance, which describes itself as an Earth Enterprise focused on solving plastic pollution through the dissemination of the low-tech, educational, open source ecobrick technology. It also operates a website which lists a wide range of organisations throughout the world where newly made ecobricks can be delivered to.

White Cross Vets operates 19 practices, with four in the local area in Gateacre, West Derby, St Helens and Widnes, and is now exploring how it can roll out the scheme across the group. Other green initiatives White Cross Vets, which is part of leading veterinary services provider Independent Vetcare, is pioneering include rolling out energy efficient LED lighting across its practices and heavily promoting the Cycle to Work scheme.

Helen Morris, from White Cross Vets in Gateacre, said: “In our industry almost everything comes packed in unrecyclable plastics, from small syringe packets through to large delivery bags and the plastic on the backs of patient labels, which we print hundreds of every day.

“As a result, we decided to look at how we might be able to put it to good use, rather than simply putting it in the bin and came across ecobricks. By taking the time to fill the bottles with plastic, we can significantly reduce the waste we send to landfill, and cut the amount of plastic that ends up littering the planet and ultimately finds its way into the sea. We are now making them every week and the whole team gets involved, which is rewarding for everyone involved.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Steven Wright .