Sustainability at PDSE
Sustainability is one of PDSE’s seven core organisational values. We are alert to our own environmental impacts and as an organisation and are engaging with our moral obligation, as all healthcare organisations have, to rapidly improve the Environmental Sustainability of services – both in respect to the patients, staff and society of today, but of future generations as well.
Our Greenhouse Gas Emissions
PDSE has been building understanding of its greenhouse gas emissions over the last three financial years. In October 2024 we reported on our Scope 1 to 3 emissions, in alignment with all 17 categories of the GHG Protocol for the first time, less for ‘investments’. You can read more about how PDSE is engaging with its GHG emissions, and other environmental impacts, in our annual ‘Environmental Report’
Read our 2024 Environmental Report here
Read our 2025 Environmental Report here
Our Focus and Aspirations
PDSE is currently developing an environmental management system in accordance with the requirements of BSI’s ISO14001 standard – the world’s most recognised standard for environmental management systems.
As part of this work we have identified our most significant environmental aspects and impacts, established an Environmental Policy and nine overarching Environmental Objectives, which map back to our aspects and impacts as well as developing and setting in play an Environmental Action Plan (EAP) – our comprehensive plan for delivering on our objectives.
Progress on our environmental objectives is reported each year in our annual Environmental Report.
What We've Been Up To
Decontamination
Having transitioned our centralised decontamination facilities at our Devonport site from gas to electric we have been analysing the energy consumption of our autoclaves to help refine their operating approach – the refined operating approach adopted in 2024 will save around 20,000 kWh electricity per year.
LED retrofit
We have delivered an estate‑wide transition to LED lighting, replacing over 400 individual light fittings across operational sites – the more efficient lights will realise an annual energy saving of approximately 50,000 kWh, permanently reducing energy demand while improving lighting quality for clinical and educational environments.
Electric Pool Vehicle
To help engage with the emissions associated with travel we have procured a battery electric pool van, which travelled over 9700 miles across Devon during academic year 2024/25, contributing to the 36% reduction of business travel emissions compared to FY 2023/24. The van arrived in September 2024 and the vehicle is anticipated to save around 1.8 tonnes CO2e per year. Now in use most days either by the Dental Outreach, Facilities, or IT team.
This vehicle is integral to the delivery of PDSE’s Open Wide and Step Inside Programme (OWSI), which brings preventative oral‑health education directly into schools. Find out more about the OWSI programme here.
EV Charging
In reflection of the high proportion of site users who access our sites by car in August 2025 we installed EV charging at our two directly operated car parks (Exeter and Derriford). The affordable to use chargers will help facilitate the transition to electric mobility for patients, staff and other site users and reduce emissions associated to travelling to our facilities.
Plant Optimisation
We are fortunate to have two 50kWp ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) at our Derriford site which deliver a share of the building’s heating demands and the majority of its cooling demands. To further the value of the GSHPs (and reduce the role of the accompanying gas boilers at the site) we are investing in improved sub-metering and BMS controls to be able to maximise the value of the existing GSHP system (and in time, help optimise the removal of the gas boilers from the site entirely).
Sustainable Procurement
We have worked to consolidate our orders wherever possible (and thus reduce vehicle movements to our sites). We have also been working with our suppliers to improve a view of ‘elephants in the room’ with our consumables consumption. After gloves (which we use over 3 tonnes of per year!) our second most significant clinical consumable (by mass) is clinical disinfectant wipes – which we use over half a million of per year. We researched alternatives to the plastic based wipes we were using previously and came across several options made from bamboo derived plant fibres. We ordered a small amount of each to test them out and identify the best option, with the top performing product rolled out to all sites in early 2025.
Waste Services
We changed waste service providers with the aspiration to deliver a more efficient, demand driven service and see waste sent to more local facilities for processing. The new contract has also seen offensive and food waste collections being introduced.
Community
In alignment with our interest in the communities we serve, we held three community litter pick events for staff, friends and family near each of our sites. A total of 20 sacks of rubbish were collected and appropriately disposed of. We kicked off our very first community beach clean, and it was a fantastic mix of sandy toes and salty air! What an exhilarating way to come together for a great cause!
Biodiversity
In respect of the very worrying collapse in flying insect populations and building on PDSE’s previous engagement with the ‘No Mow May’ movement, we decided to set aside areas from May to August in areas where able to increase biodiversity.
PV Generation
We have installed three large‑scale solar photovoltaic arrays across our estate, beginning with the Devonport facility and now extended to our Derriford and Exeter sites. Collectively, these arrays comprise of 462 solar panels, generating approximately 210MWh of electricity per year across the three facilities.
This renewable generation equates to an annual carbon saving of 40.91tCO₂e, comparable to the equivalent of over 1850 trees planted each year.
Single Use Clinical Devices
During the 2024/25 academic year, PDSE identified that 10,220 single‑use centring devices were used during the process of intra‑oral radiography. This amounted to disposed of as clinical waste, representing 73.5 kg of material transported and incinerated.
In response, PDSE has introduced a new reprocessing initiative, in line with manufactures guidelines, that means the devises are no longer single use. This initiative significantly reduces clinical waste generation, transportation emissions, and procurement spend, while maintaining clinical safety.
Dental Outreach Resources
Our Outreach Team has transitioned from plastic to bamboo toothbrushes, as well as using sugar cane bags, ensuring oral health promotion does not introduce unnecessary plastic waste into communities.
Awards and Recognition
- Finalist for the Sustainability Award at the C2S Awards 2025.
- Shortlisted for the Sustainable Business Award at The Dentistry Awards 2024.
- Achieved a Silver award at the Green Impact Dentistry Awards 2023. Read more on this achievement here.
Keen to work with us?
We recognise the transition to a Sustainable society is one which is built upon cross-organisational and cross-disciplinary sharing of knowledge and ideas. If you feel there is something you may be able to help us with in relation to our Sustainability aspirations, or feel we may be able to help you with in relation to your Sustainability aspirations based on experience we have gained in our journey so far – please reach out.
