Encouraging Active Travel
Within dental services, travel leaves the largest carbon footprint. This is not only from patients attending appointments but also staff and transportation of materials/lab work.
Air pollution itself has been recognized to have direct effects on respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and there is evidence that it has contributed to deaths.
As well as producing carbon dioxide, petrol and diesel vehicles also cause local air pollution with significant health effects particularly on young children and those already with respiratory diseases such as asthma. Please also read the section on electric vehicles.
There is going to be a need for travel for patients and staff to attend the practice but looking at sustainable alternatives and engaging not only staff but patients in this could have a significant effect.
Benefits would be not only reducing emissions, but also the huge benefits to health and wellbeing, which itself would have a positive impact in the workplace and also of course the cost savings.
Tips:
- Encourage walking/cycling to work
- Sign up to the Governments ‘Cycle to Work Scheme’ which means buying a cycle tax free
- Public transport is another option
- Car shares for staff, meaning reducing the number of car journeys to work
- Practice step challenge, see who can reach the highest target for walking.
Useful links:
Guest Contributor: Roma Devnani
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