Caring for our environment is deeply important to our family and a vital part of our business. It’s important not just because we want our daughter to live out her years on a clean planet, or just because we think individuals and businesses have a duty to take care of their inherited home, or just because we like all things furry, flowering, and green. Though we do, we do, and we do.
Caring for our environment is also important to us because our business is to take care of humans. Since our medicine teaches us that humans and the earth are inseparable, taking care of one means taking care of the other.
Earth is our only home, and we aim to repair, transform, and preserve it just as we aim to do with every human being who walks through our doors. Below is some of what we do at Turtle Tree and in our family to carry out this part of our mission.
We're Paper Free
We do not use paper in our day to day operations at Turtle Tree. Not only are trees part of our name, but they hold a special place in our lives and hearts. So we do our utmost to save paper and save the forests. We do this by using electronic charting (not paper charting); by emailing receipts, patient information handouts, and forms; by using an electronic billing system; and by running our practice with electronic practice management systems instead of paper-based books and ledgers.
We Source Earth-Friendly Supplies
From the materials used to decorate the office to the needles we use in treatment, whenever possible, we source our supplies only from companies dedicated to lowering their impact on the environment and choose only products that meet our sustainability standards. This applies to anything we use in our clinic: needles, herbs, product packaging, coverings for treatment tables, cleaning products, furniture, decorations, paint, lightbulbs, and more.
We Conserve Energy
We strive at Turtle Tree and in our home to reduce the amount of energy consumption. We use only what is needed to run the clinic and no more. We turn off all electronics when they are not in use and use them only when needed. We select high-efficiency appliances tested to use less energy.
We Favor Local And Slow
We work hard to find and use close-to-home sources for our clinic and home needs. We do this not only because it helps our community and local businesses, but also because it reduces the amount of fossil fuel and electric energy spent on transportation. And when we order, we choose the slowest delivery option.
This helps us further reduce our carbon footprint by participating less in the consumptive, long-distance, and fast delivery options of the world today.
We Conserve Water
We work diligently to use as little water as possible in our daily lives. We choose appliances that use less water and run those appliances only when necessary. We choose products that require little or no water to produce rather than those that require a lot. And when we must put something down the drain into the water, we choose only soaps and products that are earth-friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable.
We Recycle
In both the clinic and our home, we recycle anything that can be recycled, even if this means making a special trip to the proper recycling facility. We work to use very little plastic but when we can’t avoid it, we recycle it.
We Compost
We compost anything and everything that can be safely biodegraded and turned back into soil. From kitchen and yard waste to cotton balls, natural fiber clothing, paper products, and more, we try our best to return back to the earth what we have taken.