Our Environmental Impact Statement
Every person and business has their small role to play in minimising their impact on the environment. That’s why we’ve taken steps to reduce our environmental footprint through a series of changes and upgrades at the clinic. Our goal is to operate as a carbon neutral business.
We recognise that the collective consumption of our entire business, including consumable products, will be challenging to make carbon neutral. Our objective is to greatly reduce our environmental impact. In doing so we hope that others can see how easy it is to reduce their environmental footprint with little or no inconvenience. Below is what we have achieved so far.
Carbon positive energy
Over 10 years ago we installed solar panels to power the clinic. This has enabled the business to offset 100% of its electricity use. At the beginning of 2020 we upgraded these solar panels, replacing them with a system with 5x the power, and added a Tesla Powerwall battery to power the clinic after dark and protect against power outages.
In 2021 we also replaced all gas appliances with electrical and had the gas connection removed.
We produce enough power from solar to run the clinic. In the summer months we generate enough power to also run up to 3 other properties. In the last 18 months to July 2021 we have been unaffected by 6 power outages and generated over 16MWh – enough electricity to power an air conditioner on full for 32,000 hours, or nearly 4 years 24/7!
Transport emissions
We replaced the clinic transport vehicle from a diesel powered vehicle to an electric vehicle. This enables us to conduct all our travel emissions free, charged directly from our solar panels.
Ecosystem rehabilitation
As a small gesture, for each review we receive on Google we arrange for a tree to be planted in a struggling ecosystem in Australia by a specialist charity of our choosing. Whilst we know a few new trees won’t make a huge difference, we feel that every little bit helps, especially after the 2019-20 bush fires.
Sustainability in products
We are continually seeking to source more sustainable products, ranging from oils and creams to furniture. This can include swapping out consumable supplies to appropriate environmentally friendly alternatives if possible. For instance: choosing recycled and recyclable products, plant-based alternatives to typically harsh chemical cleaners, and reducing consumption overall. With environmentally friendly options becoming as good or better than traditional alternatives, it is becoming easier to swap out non-sustainable products.
Recycled rainwater
We are reinstating 20,000 litre rainwater tanks to provide valuable water to our garden systems all year round, even through droughts.
Heating and cooling in the clinic
Continuing to replace old exterior windows and doors with high-quality double-glazed alternatives. This offers both outstanding sound suppression and thermal insulation, so in the summer we can keep the heat out and in the winter we can keep the heat in. This significantly helps to keep a great temperature inside and provides a wonderful clinic experience.
If you have any questions about our efforts and how we went about achieving these changes please feel free to ask. Considerable thought and effort went into the choices we made, so we would be happy to share any helpful information.