We were really excited when we heard about the theme for the BVNA Congress this year – sustainability! This is something that is truly close to our hearts, and we work hard to be as sustainable as possible, both in our professional lives and personal.
As explained in the Cambridge Dictionary, sustainability is: “the quality of being able to continue over a period of time” (2021).
Sustainability is a wide umbrella that can be broken down in to these four pillars: social, human, environmental & economic. How ‘sustainable’ we are has a knock on effect on most elements of our lives without us even realising, a lot of the time.
Within the veterinary industry, this is a key factor in how a lot of practices run their businesses and treat their clientele. As we develop socially, our awareness surrounding the environment, our finances, our social lives and relationships make us think about the longevity of the planet as a whole.
So, where do we come in? What do we do to be as proactively sustainable as possible?
It’s so easy to avoid thinking about your impact on the world, but it’s so important. In our office, we do what we perceive to be the basics, always recycling, turning lights/electrics off, etc etc etc… and yes, those small steps add up, but it’s also about the bigger picture.
Without changes, big or small, the way we live as a wider society will no longer be sustainable. There are many things we can do as a small business, but also the veterinary industry can do to push the positive effects, not the negative. For example, at the BVNA congress, they are trying to limit plastic usage as far as possible, as well as only using well-sourced meat for their meals, and making sure the theme is incorporated in the minor details as well as in the bigger elements such as the lectures. Hopefully this will help us all to reflect on what more we can do, both professionally and privately.
We are super excited to see how the BVNA approach this theme and the effect it will have on the people attending longer term.
We cannot wait to see you all there.
References:
SUSTAINABILITY | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary [Accessed: 20th September 2021]
