The waste produced in veterinary clinics is often a priority topic for clinic employees, but also a challenging one to address. It can also be challenging to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) waste management goals without a baseline from which progress can be measured. In the April (Volume 261, Issue 4) 2023 issue of JAVMA a team from the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital describes their process for conducting a waste audit for the small animal and surgery sections. This effort revealed several opportunities for better education, and behavior, that would improve waste management immediately. The article concludes with a great discussion in which the 5Rs (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Research) could be better operationalized in veterinary hospitals.
