Colleagues are encouraged to consider any sustainable changes we can make across our locations and, as expected in an employee-owned CIC, their engagement is fantastic with ideas positively flowing in.
Big or small, every idea makes a difference – for example, suggestions now introduced throughout Smile Together have included:
- Reducing single-use plastic by:
- Giving every one of our colleagues a reusable Smile Together water bottle and coffee cup
- Using 100% compostable bags made from potato starch for our oral health donation packs – these break down to leave just three elements, carbon dioxide, water and biomass in a little under three months
- Significantly reducing the use of plastic cups, cling film and plastic sheeting in surgeries, whilst not compromising patient safety
- Using self-adhesive paper parcel tape instead of the standard parcel tape as not only is it made in a more environmentally friendly way, it is also biodegradable
- Reducing in-house printing by 19% since 2021 with the bulk of commissioned print procured from St Austell Print, a local carbon-balanced printing company,using environmentally-friendly stock
- Purchasing environmentally friendly cleaning products, washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, washing powder and fabric softener for our in-house laundry service plus recycled/sustainably sourced toilet rolls and biodegradable teabags
Whenever we upgrade something for our business or personally, we collectively try to rehome any unwanted items:
- We’ve donated dental and technological equipment to Dentaid, ComputerAid and local schools
- Having rolled out new uniforms to clinical colleagues in 2021 we donated 130 pairs of trousers and 25 unbranded tops to jacobswellappeal.org destined for Sierra Leone
- Warm clothing donations from colleagues are gratefully received by Cornwall Health for Homeless during winter health inclusion pop-ups
