Practice Green Flyer - April 2024 - 5

Managing Your Dental Office's
Carbon Footprint
Continued from page 4
the manufacturers are located. He also shared information
about how the practice was heated and cooled, along
with electrical and water usage. The process also required
gathering information about any travel for continuing
education and employee commutes.
Once the practice knew how much carbon it was releasing
each year, it could calculate how much it would need to
invest to offset that amount. With help from the consultant,
Scott Andersen considered several carbon-offsetting
providers and decided to buy carbon credits from a company
that assists land owners in the southern part of the U.S.
"
We considered the
environment to be
a stakeholder in
our practice...
Dr. Nicole Andersen at Artisan Dental in Madison, WI
"
in planting new forests on marginal farmland that would
otherwise be unused. The program plants hundreds of trees
per acre, and those trees pull carbon out of the atmosphere.
Andersen shared, " I get excited thinking about how in a few
years, those trees will create a brand new ecosystem filled
with animals and insects. Forests are also great filters of toxic
materials, such as pesticides, heavy metals, and fertilizers
that can harm rivers and human life. There are many
ecological benefits. "
Staff commuting to the dental practice by car contributed
significantly to the office's carbon footprint, so Artisan Dental
decided to offer a small daily subsidy to employees who
choose a form of alternative transportation such as biking,
carpooling, or driving electric vehicles to work. Artisan Dental
has also identified suppliers that offer carbon-neutral shipping
and discussed with a long-time dental supply distributor
about how they could have fewer, larger shipments that
saved on transportation costs and emissions. Recently,
Artisan Dental decided to offset 20% more carbon that
it produces. " I think of it as pulling down carbon that we
produced years ago, " Scott Andersen says. He feels
that becoming carbon neutral has helped build strong
relationships with patients and team members and attract
new patients who align with the importance of carbon
management. " Caring about the environment is a value that
we share. It brings us together. Moreover, academic research
suggests that shared values between the company and
customer is a strong predictor of customer loyalty. "
In terms of next steps, Mr. Andersen says, " Taking
responsibility for our carbon emissions is becoming a norm
with many companies of all sizes having become carbon
neutral or having made pledges to become carbon neutral.
Examples include Google, Microsoft, and Henry Schein
Dental. The tools are out there and the process is getting
easier every year. "
To find out more from Scott Andersen about managing your
dental office's carbon footprint, click here to register for the
upcoming webinar: Creating a Carbon Neutral Dental Office.
Use promo code G2T when ordering
www.henryscheindental.com/PracticeGreenProducts
5
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4317109570116/WN_swJ3-nNFSK-Hvho-_Z6kOg http://www.henryscheindental.com/PracticeGreenProducts
Practice Green Flyer - April 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Practice Green Flyer - April 2024
