Going Greener

The team at HMD opticians are making changes to the way we work to reduce our carbon footprint through different energy savings methods, making a vital contribution to the long-term future of our planet.

Working with the Association of British Dispensing Optician’s (ABDO) we have undertook their sustainability self-assessment tool to measure where we are at different points throughout the year. We are delighted to announce, as of December 2023, we have received a platinum award, with a score of 71%.

Sustainable Measures

The sustainable measures include actions for individuals and our business as a whole, see below:

Frames:

• Where possible, we will offer frames made from recycled or sustainable material
• We will choose manufacturers who reduce their carbon footprint by offsetting or other means
• Patients will be asked if they wish to reuse their current spectacle case, to reduce waste
• We will look at sourcing recycled spectacle cases
• Spectacle recycling bins are available in each practice for old and unused spectacle

Lenses/Contact Lenses:

• Where possible, we will use lens companies that are actively promoting changes to their business to reduce their carbon footprint
• Where possible,  we will source lenses made from recycled materials
• We will provide patients with green lens cleaning sprays
• Contact Lens recycle bins are available in each practice for old and unused contact lenses
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Electronics/lighting –  we will try to reduce our use of energy by:

• We will investigate a green energy supplier or green energy tariff
• We will look at light motion sensors for throughout the practice
• We have added signage throughout our practices, reminding staff to turn off lights
• Computer & monitors will go into sleep mode/standby when idle for 10 to 15 mins
• Outdated CRT monitors will be replaced with energy efficient ones
• We currently use electronic medical records (EMR), and will transfer the remaining paper records over in a phased manner

Paper/Card– we will reduce our use of paper by:

• HMD will endeavour to use as little printed material as possible, using electronic brochures, catalogues and instruction manuals, rather than printed copies
• We will offer PDF version of all HMD leaflets and information sheets
• We will recycle a much paper and cards as possible.
• We will encourage team members to use non-disposable dishes, cups and silverware. An office of 10 employees may go through a full sleeve of disposable coffee cups per day.

Water – we will reduce the amount of water we consume by:

• We will monitor our water usage
• We have introduced signage, reminding staff to turn off taps and use water wisely
• We will phase in replacing outdated toilets and sinks with water-saving hardware

Others :

• We will promote the use of biodegradable soaps and cleaning agents in practice and, safely dispose of any older unused products
• We will reduce the number pharmaceutical drug stocks, reducing stock and packaging
• We will order all frequently used drops, medications and ophthalmic cleaning products in bulk.
• We will in future purchase refurbished or used furniture for the office waiting room
• We encourage teams and patients to travel to work and appointments in the most sustainable way possible, be that, car share, bike, walk or public transport

We will continue to review our business processes to ensure we are working in the most sustainable way possible.