North Brighton Medical is committed to environmental sustainability, and this month we’re participating in Plastic Free July.

Here’s a sample of some of the small things our practice and staff are doing this month (and hopefully every month) to reduce/reuse/recycle plastics:

avoiding single use plastics, like plastic bags, cutlery and straws;
using reusable lunch boxes to store food (instead of plastic wrap or single-use containers);
separating recyclables from general waste to avoid sending them to landfill (including plastics like milk bottles and other drink containers, as well as glass bottles and jars, cans and paper and cardboard);
collecting soft plastics for recycling by REDcycle;
recycling printer cartridges with Planet Ark;
sitting in at cafes, or bringing reusable coffee cups if we need to take away; and
not having a water fountain with reusable cups or supplied with large plastic bottles - staff drink tap water from reusable water bottles and cups, and we offer patients reusable cups of tap water.

As a GP clinic, it’s impossible for us to go completely plastic free - this is the case even for single use plastics, as they are often required to ensure items are sterile or to ensure medical waste including sharps are disposed of safely.

We do our best to do what we can to consume plastic in a sustainable way, while avoiding unsustainable applications wherever possible.

We encourage you to make a commitment to sustainability this Plastic Free July too!