19 Dec 2023
Veterinary centre and referral service in West Midlands recognised with Overall Outstanding Achiever award 2023 from Investors in the Environment.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Members of the Willows Green Giants team (from left) are Alessandra Mathis, Charlotte Robinson, Caludia Davis, Nic Mills, Jullian Brown and Nicky Lawrence.
Small animal hospital Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service has won a national award for its sustainability work.
The team at the Linnaeus-owned Solihull-based hospital has won the 2023 Overall Outstanding Achiever award for a small to medium business from Investors in the Environment (iiE).
Awarding of the honour follows the centre achieving iiE’s Green award at the end of 2023 for efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.
David Hindley, facilities manager at Willows and a member of its Green Giants working group, said: “To be declared the best small to medium-sized business in the UK in terms of eco-friendly practices and environmental success is huge.
“It’s a glowing endorsement of our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment and all the hard work and dedication to creating a more environmentally friendly hospital.
“It’s also a new motivation to keep trying to make further improvements and rest assured our Green Giants group is continually looking at how we can further reduce our carbon footprint.”
Among work to improve its carbon footprint, Willows has invested £35,000 in a deluxe compressor and oxygen generator system, it has switched to LED lighting, set up new waste streams and reduced single-use items – including the saving of 4,000 surgical hats by introducing washable ones.
It has reduced its electricity usage by 8%, reduced fuel use by 7% and increased recycling by 12%.
