Beaconsfield Dental and Sustainability

Beaconsfield Dental’s motto is “Caring for the community and the environment.”

Our aim is to protect the Earth for future generations and goals are to motivate as many groups as possible on sustainability, as well as contributing ourselves. Beaconsfield Dental has won numerous environmental awards including the 2018 Premier's Sustainability Award in the Health Category and the Casey Cardinia Business Awards for Sustainability. 

 



 

 

 


 

The measures Beaconsfield Dental employs includes Solar power generation from 144 solar panels, solar hot water, rain water collection (17,000 litres), composting (14 compost bins), indigenous garden including native edibles, recycling, promotion (in-house, website and social media), energy-saving building design, energy efficient appliances and lighting, artwork promoting the environment, Tesla charger, promoting sustainability at lectures and talks, and finally staff and patient awareness. 

The showpiece of Beaconsfield Dental’s sustainability measures is the 36.15 kW, 144 panel solar array. These provide in excess of 220 kWh of electricity on a good day. In just over 10 years, Beaconsfield Dental has generated over 300,000 kWh of electricity (300 Megawatts). This has saved nearly 400 tonnes of CO2 - over 7 million Black Balloons! Yearly totals are now approximately 30 megawatts of power which is a saving of around 786,000 Black Balloons (39,000 kg of CO2). 

Other sustainability initiatives, include:

  • 17,000 litre water tanks save over 70,000 litres of water yearly. 
  • The indigenous and native garden has a variety of plants including Australia's floral emblem, the Golden wattle, as well as native edibles.
  • There are now 14 compost bins, including the composting of autoclave pouch paper and shredded documents.
  • Further recycling includes Colgate’s Terracycle for oral hygiene products, paper, plastic, batteries, electronic components, liquids, and amalgam collection via suction separators. 
  • LED lighting and energy saving appliances further reduce energy consumption. In our bathrooms, automatic light switches were added so the lights turn off automatically.
  • There is significant promotion on our website and social media.
  • Regular trips are now made to waste transfer centres to dispose of recyclable items such as batteries, printer cartridges, polystrene and E-waste. 
  • Beaconsfield Dental has a native vegetable garden, added in 2019/20. This promotes sustainability as well as healthy eating. 
  • A new initiative introduced in 2020 is collection of rubbish from the neighbouring Akoonah Park and roads. Teams of our dentists and staff regularly collect rubbish, which a wonderful community service and morale booster for our clinic. We have also successfully invited other businesses to join us. 

Beaconsfield Dental has lobbied the ADA to make Sustainability Polices mandatory for dental clinics of all sizes. Dr Robert Panjkov was a member of the ADA's first sustainability committee, as well as a guest speaker on the 2023 FDI on dental sustainability. There is an environmental painting in Room 1 donated by Artist John Kryzwokulski titled 'Exhibit With Reluctant Observers' showing Uluru enduring with the environment deteriorating around it. 

Beaconsfield Dental's water tank artwork includes Victoria's floral and faunal emblems - the Pink Heath, Weedy Seadragon, Leadbeater's Possum and the Helmeted Honeyeater. Also painted is the Baw Baw Frog. The Baw Baw Frog, Helmeted Honeyeater and Leadbeater's Possum are the only animals endemic to Victoria and all three are critically endangered. This artwork brings attention to these animals so more can be done to save them and see them thrive. 

The Australian Dental Association promotes Beaconsfield Dental’s sustainability achievements in their Federal and Victorian branch newsletters to influence other dental practices and ADA members. Recently that the ADA has shown interest in sustainability and part of this comes from Beaconsfield Dental's advocacy. In 2020 Dr Robert Panjkov was invited to join the newly - formed ADA Sustainability Committee. Beaconsfield Dental is now in an influential position to promote sustainability to other dental professionals. The ADA published his article "Not just about bamboo toothbrushes" recently and now they have regular articles on sustainability. Dr Panjkov has also written articles for other magazines such as Bite magazine, Star News, Casey Cardina Kids, and the Dental Tribune. Beaconsfield Dental's sustainability achievements have no doubt influenced the ADA to begin their recent journey into sustainability and continue to do so.

Beaconsfield Dental has given presentations to two of the local Men's Sheds and the Gippsland Group Men's Shed meeting on sustainability. Beaconsfield Dental has also given a talk about sustainable dentistry to an ADA Group meeting in Adelaide. Dr Panjkov was invited to present a sustainability lecture to the ADA Congress in 2020 but it was cancelled due to Covid. 

Furthermore, educational tours of the dental facility pass on our passion and influence others in making changes to their workplaces and homes.  

Beaconsfield Dental - Caring for the Community and the Environment

Visit the Beaconsfield Dental website for the Environmental Policy and much more.   

  • Winner 2022 Casey Business Awards Sustainability Category
  • Finalist 2022 Premier’s Sustainability Awards Sustainable Places and Destinations-Industry Leader
  • Finalist 2019 Casey Cardinia Business Awards Health, Education and Well-being
  • Finalist 2018 Casey Cardinia Business Awards for Health, Education and Well-being
  • Winner 2018 Premier’s Sustainability Awards Health Category. 
  • Finalist 2019 Melbourne Awards for Sustainability
  • Finalist 2018 Melbourne Awards for Sustainability. 
  • Finalist 2016 Premier’s Sustainability Awards
  • Winner 2015, 2016, 2017 Casey Cardinia Business Awards for Sustainability and the Environment.