The team at Linnaeus-owned Kentdale Referrals in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, did not want to waste the chance to find a new use for discarded plastic trays and bowls from their operating theatres.
So they teamed up with West Midlands Safari Park in Worcestershire to come up with a novel idea to help out some of the park’s furry and feathered residents.
Sharon Murtagh, hospital director at Kentdale, explained: “We’re very environmentally aware and are always looking to find new ways to cut down on waste and find sustainable solutions.
“This is one of the most creative and enjoyable results, though, with the safari park now finding brilliant new way to use our old trays and bowls from the operating theatre.
“It’s so good to see the bowls being used to feed the various residents at the safari park!”
West Midlands Safari Park vet nurse Sarah Smith added: “As a company, we are keen to recycle and help protect the environment wherever we can, so we are very thankful for the donation.
“The bowls and trays have come in very handy across our park for food preparation to novel enrichment ideas across many species.
“Reptiles have enjoyed the shallow trays as water baths and our meerkats have loved having a spread of food items on them so they can move it around and scavenge.
“The bowls and trays have also come in very useful in our veterinary department as well as being used for moving feeds from prep areas to enclosures.”
The team at Kentdale have already been recognised for their green credentials, recently earning a bronze award from Investors in the Environment (iiE) after a concerted effort to cut emissions and waste across all departments at the hospital.
However, Sharon says they won’t be resting on their laurels because they are keen to go one better and gain a silver iiE award next year.
She added: “At Kentdale we recognise that businesses influence the environment in many ways and that’s why we are committed to the constant improvement of our environmental performance.
“We are proud to be working with iiE and our bronze status was a great reward for the team’s combined efforts so far.
“However, we’re already looking at new ways to make further improvements to build on this award and go on to achieve the iiE’s silver award.”
Kentdale Referrals is a specialist-led practice offering expert services in diagnostic imaging, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, anaesthesia, infection control, orthopaedic surgery, spinal surgery, soft tissue surgery and physiotherapy.
For more information on Kentdale Referrals, visit www.kentdalevets.co.uk or search for Kentdale Referrals on social media.