Willows Environmental Policy

29 November 2023

Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service, part of Linnaeus Veterinary Limited, offers a range of high-quality veterinary services for small animals via practices situated in Shirley, Solihull.

Willows is one of the world’s leading Specialist-led small animal referral centres, delivering Specialist pet healthcare for over 30 years. Our state-of-the-art hospital located in Solihull is led by internationally renowned Specialists committed to providing the very highest standards of veterinary care. We aim to provide each of our patients with the same level of care that we would wish for our pets.

Our core environmental impacts are Climate Change, Waste Management and Responsible Pharmaceutical and Chemical Stewardship. We acknowledge that our operations have an effect on the environment and our ambition is to continually improve by:

  1. Accessing sustainability-focused forums and training
  2. Monitoring key resources such as electricity, gas, water, anaesthetic gases and transport, and setting reduction targets
  3. Calculating a Scope 1, 2 and partial Scope 3 carbon footprint, and setting an annual reduction target
  4. Using sustainability performance metrics to drive change
  5. Supporting sustainable transport options and healthy lifestyles for our Associates
  6. Carrying out One Health projects
  7. Improved resource management including sustainable procurement choices and waste management plans
  8. Providing our clients support on responsible preventative care strategies
  9. Accepting returns of unused or out-of-date veterinary medicines to our practices
  10. Being compliant with applicable environmental regulations and meeting our clients’ expectations.

Willows is committed to reducing their environmental impact through a journey of continual improvement by working through the Investors in the Environment accreditation scheme. Our practice is registered on the iiE Green Directory.

David Hindley is our Sustainability Lead and has designated responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of this policy.

We communicate this policy to our Associates, ensuring that they are provided with training to increase awareness of environmental matters and opportunities to make changes. We make this policy available to our clients through our practice website and we welcome ideas or questions from clients via our Client Care teams.

For further questions on Linnaeus Sustainability, please contact sustainability@linnaeusgroup.co.uk or go to the website at https://www.linnaeusgroup.co.uk/about-us/sustainability for more information.

Name: David Hindley

Position: Investors in the Environment Lead for Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service

Date: 28/11/23

Name:  Tom Reilly

Position: Hospital Director, Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service

Date: 28/11/23