Does Earth Day have you thinking about the impact of your medical practice on the environment? Even the most “green” offices have measures they can take to reduce their strain on the environment.  If you want to cut down on your energy use and go green, here are a few questions to ask yourself as Earth Day approaches:

Is my lighting wasting electricity?

What kind of lightbulbs are you using? If you’re not using Energy-Star rated bulbs, you’re using an unnecessary amount of energy and straining the environment. You also need to consider how you manage your lighting when no one is working. Do they turn off completely? We know lighting can be a safety hazard, but installing motion sensor lights can provide a well-lit area, only when someone needs it.

Can I make the break room more environmentally friendly?

Are you using plastic utensils and Styrofoam cups or do you encourage the use of metal forks and knives and ceramic mugs? Making a policy that emphasizes reusable dishes, glasses, silverware and mugs can help reduce your environmental impact.

Is it easy to recycle at my practice?

This one is extremely simple. Do you have recycling bins throughout your medical practice? If not, it’s simple to make that change! Your local hardware store will have some bins. If you want to emphasize recycling, you can even start a recycling drive at your medical practice. Encourage employees to recycle their bottles and cans and then take the proceeds from those and donate them to a local charity. Not only will this improve the “greenness” of your practice, it will also do some good for the local community!

How much paper am I using on an annual basis?

Did you know that the average office worker used 10,000 sheets of paper a year? This might not exactly translate to the medical industry, but how many patient files do you have? How many pages of notes are printed and stowed away in your patient folder every year? Chances are that it’s too many. Have you ever considered going green and converting to a digital database? This not only reduces your environmental impact, it also can improve the efficiency of your medical practice.

My Retired Doctor Can Help You Go Green at Your Medical Practice

You might think it’s a waste to go green right before you retire and close your practice, but that simply is not the case. It’s never too late or too early to start saving the environment. Don’t you want to leave the world in good shape for your family? If you are interested in creating a digital database, My Retired Doctor can help. We offer state-of-the-art scanning services with high resolution technology and a thorough quality control process. To learn more about the services we offer, visit us online at My Retired Doctor.