Reduce, reuse, recycle

Sustainability is still a hot topic across dentistry and most other industries around world – and it’s likely to remain that way for quite some time. Despite our efforts so far, there is still a long way to go if we are to collectively start making a more positive impact on the planet. The ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ concept may be employed in various businesses as a way of boosting environmentally-friendly processes. Today, in dentistry, these principles can be applied to everything from consumables to waste containers and even amalgam separators.

Start at the source

Reducing the amount of waste generated in the dental practice can be challenging for a number of reasons. Meticulous infection control often dictates that certain products, instruments or PPE can only be used once for the safety of patients and the clinical team. In addition, utilising single-use items such as dental burs, scalpel blades and saliva injectors, often saves time in the clinic, as products are simply thrown away following each appointment and that’s the end of the workflow.