Westport Sustainable Superstar: 

Dr. Rebekah Browder reached out to Sustainable Westport seeking advice on how she could expand her sustainability measures at her local dental practice, Westport Family Dental. However, what we learned is that she is already way ahead of the curve and already making every effort possible to identify and make changes in a business that is rife with (unavoidable) waste. 

In an industry with so much plastic and single-use waste, how have you made changes in the office?

“The healthcare field certainly isn’t set up to be eco-friendly but we were able to make several meaningful improvements. We use sterilizable and reusable dental products as much as possible, source sustainable  office products, and we partner with Terracycle to prevent oral health products from going into the waste system. Patients and non-patients alike are free to drop off their used toothbrushes, toothpastes, floss, and mouthwash bottles, as well as clear aligners, like Invisalign, to be recycled by Terracycle into usable materials.”

Why was B-corp certification important to you? (her practice is one of only a few B-Corp dental practices in the US)

“B-corp certification became important to us quite quickly. At the very least, it would be a great exercise as a new business owner to evaluate my practice and ensure I was running a company that would make me proud. I was fortunate enough to partner with Kerrie McDevitt and Impact Growth Partners to guide me through the process. What I found was that if we really wanted to attain B-corp certification, we couldn’t get by with just being nice people. We needed to walk the walk and put our money where our mouths are. We were able to re-evaluate everything from our community involvement, charitable practices, and environmental impact, to the satisfaction of our patients and team members. The more I learned, the more passionate I became about creating a practice that was truly different, a dental practice that was a force for good inside the mouth and out.”

What can people do at home in their dental routine to be more environmental or sustainable?

“There are many options. If you keep your current routine, simply recycle your products. The next step would be to use reusable, rechargeable electric toothbrushes and Waterpiks. And if you really want to take things up a level, you can switch to bamboo toothbrushes, a stainless steel tongue scraper, biodegradable silk floss in glass containers, and toothpaste tablets to create a zero-waste oral healthcare routine.”

Rebekah’s contribution extends beyond her direct efforts. She also contributes at least 2% of her annual revenue to a variety of charitable partners. To learn more, visit https://www.westportfamilydental.com/. Let’s support businesses that support our planet!