Environmental Management
OdontoPrev’s environmental management focuses on four key aspects: energy, water, GHG emissions, and waste management. To address these topics, the Company adopts an approach consisting of reducing consumption through awareness campaigns and more efficient technologies; reusing or recycling when possible; and measuring the impacts to mitigate them with environmental compensation programs.
GHG emissions
GRI 305-1
Increased GHG in the atmosphere is one of the critical factors of the climate change process. Committed to measuring and reducing its environmental impacts, OdontoPrev conducts rigorous management of these gases emissions through the GHG inventory, which in the section referring to Scope 1 (the company’s emissions), OdontoPrev recorded emissions occurred in its headquarters, referring to the following factors: diesel combustion from electricity generator; extinguisher gases; and building effluents. In 2019, 54 tons of CO2e were emitted (Scope 1), 31% less than in 2018.
Concerning Scopes 2 and 3, the inventory measured emissions associated with electricity, air, and land travels. In 2019, OdontoPrev recorded the emission of 943 tons of CO2e (Scopes 2 and 3), 55% higher than in 2018. Overall, OdontoPrev’s operations emitted 997 tons of CO2 in 2019, 45% higher than in the previous year, on the back of more frequent travels, due to the merger of Odonto System. The Company continuously acts to reduce its emissions, improve its performance through eco-efficiency innovation and dissemination of the conscious consumption concept. The effects of implementing the Quality Office Program (click here to know more) should be seen as from 2020, in view of employees’ home office and home-based work.
Since 2008, OdontoPrev has also been relying on the assistance of a specialized environmental consulting firm, which monitors emissions and maintains a Carbon Neutralization project, in which CO2 removals surpass the Company’s emissions by approximately 20%.
CO2e (t) emissions
Successful environmental management: CO2 removals surpass emissions
OdontoPrev relies on the assistance of an external environmental consulting firm to monitor the emission of carbon deriving from energy consumption, its employees’ land or air travels, and fleet fuel. Based on calculations, the consulting firm quantifies the number of trees to be planted, so that to neutralize carbon equivalent and offset GHG emissions.
Since the project’s inception, 13,300 trees were planted, currently, our CO2 removals surpass our emissions.
In 2019, the Company’s employees, family members and the neighboring community of Parque Gabriel
Chucre, in the city of Carapicuíba, close to OdontoPrev’s headquarters gathered on the Tree Day (9/21) to plant seedlings, each two-meter height. The Company also guarantees seedlings to remain healthy.
This event included kids and pet spaces, and a presentation of the Philharmonic Orchestra Jovem Boa Vontade, from Legião da Boa Vontade (LBV).
The tree planting event was a partnership with the State Environmental Department, which provides pleasant leisure and green area for the local community, also relied on the participation of OdontoPrev’s employees.
Waste Management
GRI 306-2
OdontoPrev’s practices to treat waste include recycling of office supplies, old equipment, such as computer monitors, keyboards, and booklets. Other materials with a significant volume include plastic cups and sulfite papers. All A4 paper acquired derives from reforestation and certified.
The waste produced at OdontoPrev’s headquarters is directed to an outsourced recycling company, which maintains duly updated the Cadri (Certificate of Environmental Interest Waste Movement), issued by Cetesb (Environmental Sanitation Technology Company of the State of São Paulo). Cadri is a certificate that approves the transportation of environmental interest waste for reprocessing, storage, treatment, or final disposal.
Besides recycling, the Company conducts awareness actions and adopts measures to reduce waste generation, such as the inclusion of passwords in the printer’s system, thus, avoiding waste.
| Waste Management | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ∆ 2019/2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper disposal (kg) | 7,882 | 3,117 | 4,104 | 31% |
| Plastic disposal (kg) | 2,793 | 3,344 | 3,656 | 9% |
| Aluminum disposal (kg) | 323 | 58 | 138 | 137% |
| Glass disposal (kg) | 154 | 24 | 4 | -83% |
Energy efficiency
The condominium, where the company’s headquarter is located at, is equipped with several technologies that contribute to minimize the use of natural resources. One is the intelligent air-conditioning and exhaust system, which reduces the amount of equipment connected outside of peak times when there is less demand. Another important solution is an internal plant, which is regularly active at night to generate sustainable resource optimization.
In 2019, OdontoPrev carried out the Quality Office Program, revisiting the company’s layout and thereby contributing to the improvement of energy efficiency. Likewise, the reduction in energy consumption was favored by the initiatives implemented in the previous year, such as the installation of motion sensors in all rooms and corridors and limited the use of equipment according to the schedule – the monitors began to switch off when they are no longer being used. In addition, it replaced the fluorescente and incandescent lamps of all floors by LED, more efficient.
OdontoPrev has also invested in raising awareness on the rational use of natural resources. Considering all these initiatives, energy consumption in 2019 had a significant drop compared to the previous year. Total consumption was 879,392 kW/h, a decrease of 12% compared to 2018.
| Energy consumption (kWh) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Water consumption
The OdontoPrev headquarters building has a Sewage Treatment Station (ETE), in which the water is treated to be reused in the irrigation system of the building green areas, for sanitary purposes and as a firefighting reserve.
The process of water treatment in TEE is effective. During recycling, about 25% of the water is lost by evaporation, and practically everything else is reused. Of the total water used by OdontoPrev in 2019, 60% is recycled and reused. Waste sludge from sewage treatment is properly discarded.
Control of water consumption is done by the condominium, which sends a monthly report to monitor expenses and identify possible problems, such as leaks. In 2019, 8,023 m³ from public supply were consumed, a decrease of 19% compared to 2018.
| Water consumption (m3) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Support to the accredited network
OdontoPrev’s concern with impacts on the environment is not only restricted to the activities directly performed by its teams at the headquarters. The Company created tools and processes to save natural resources also in the accredited network’s activities. One of the initiatives is offering resources to stimulate the involvement of surgeon dentists in actions to reduce energy and radiologic materials consumption, besides decreasing GHG emissions.
The Rede UNNA app, the Digital File, the Rede UNNA Portal, and the Uploader of radiologic images contribute to such reduction. These platforms allow transferring and storing images and exams, besides digitally maintaining patients’ treatment information.
Another initiative is the recycling of amalgam, a restorative material used by surgeon dentists, composed of heavy and toxic metals, such as mercury and silver. Aware of the relevance of recycling this material, OdontoPrev maintains a partnership with the University of São Paulo (USP) and the accredited network of surgeon dentists to develop new treatment technologies and replace amalgam with other materials. Since the project’s inception, in 2005, approximately 3,100 surgeon dentists sent 18 kg of amalgam, and nearly 8 kg of mercury and silver were recycled.
Percentage of images received by analog and digital channels
