Leading Animal Health Companies Team up to Lead Sustainability Push in Veterinary Medicine
The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has released a new whitepaper, Healthy Planet, Healthy Pets: Toward Sustainability in the Veterinary Profession, highlighting best practices and future strategies for environmental sustainability in animal health.
The report features contributions from leading veterinary organizations, including Mars Veterinary Health, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Zoetis, Boehringer Ingelheim, MWI Animal Health, and Virbac. Together, they are working to reduce waste, improve pharmaceutical stewardship, conserve energy and water, and engage stakeholders in sustainability efforts.
Steven Feldman, president of HABRI, emphasized the importance of collaboration: “By sharing best practices on environmental sustainability, we can strengthen our community and protect the human-animal bond.”
The whitepaper reflects growing demand from both clients and staff:
65% of pet owners want their veterinary clinics to share sustainability initiatives.
76% of veterinary staff believe environmental practices are important in their workplaces.
Highlighted projects include:
Hill’s Pet Nutrition: A new “smart” plant in Kansas designed with green building principles.
Mars Veterinary Health: Piloting anesthetic gas capture to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
MWI Animal Health: Launching a reusable tote program to replace single-use packaging.
Boehringer Ingelheim: Training employees in sustainability through a university partnership.
Virbac: Cutting packaging waste by eliminating individual toothpaste displays.
Zoetis: Expanding its Driven to Care strategy for integrating sustainability into business operations.
Common themes emerging from the collaboration include leadership commitment, employee engagement, stakeholder involvement, and sharing best practices. Each initiative demonstrates how sustainability efforts not only reduce environmental impact but also provide long-term value for veterinary practices and their communities.
The full whitepaper, Healthy Planet, Healthy Pets, is available from HABRI: https://habri.org/sustainability/
