Sustainability in Speech and Language Therapy
- Jill Primrose
- Oct 16
- 3 min read
If you follow us on social media, you might have noticed that we’ve been taking steps to be more environmentally conscious as an organisation. Our vision is ‘building communication skills for a lifetime’ and we believe that lifetime should be lived in a world that is looked after and protected for future generations.
We know that we are a small drop in a very big ocean, but we’re trying to remember that:
‘great things are done by a series of small things put together’ – Vincent Van Gogh
This is why we’ve been looking at practical ways we can make our work more sustainable. We’ve got lots to do and plenty to learn, but here’s what we’ve pledged so far.
Our pledge
Reusable resources. Wherever possible, we make sure resources can be reused and shared across our team. For example, all of our Attention Autism equipment is made up of reusable items and is carefully stored so we can all access it and avoid duplication. We’re also big fans of charity shops and online marketplaces – a large majority of our resources are second hand items or items we bought long ago that we’d be lost without.
No more glitter. We love the sparkle, but glitter is a huge contributor to harmful microplastic pollution with nearly one million tonnes of it ending up in our oceans each year. Biodegradable glitter might not be the answer either! (see link)
Less printing and laminating. Speech and language therapy often comes hand in hand with lots of laminating! We’re challenging ourselves to ask: ‘Does this really need laminating?’. Instead, we’ve invested in sturdy plastic wallets that are durable and easy to update.
Recycling and rethinking waste. We’ve set up clear recycling systems in our office and are aiming to reduce what we send to landfill. Non-recyclable shredded paper is now going into home compost bins. When we are in schools, we follow their recycling systems too, so we’re consistent everywhere.
Avoiding non-recyclables. From chocolate wrappers to balloons, so many everyday items can’t be recycled. We’re making a conscious effort to avoid bringing these into the office and are on the lookout for greener alternatives.
What can you do?
Just like us, you don’t need to change everything at once – small steps add up. Here are a few ideas:
Think about what you can swap, reuse or recycle in your home or workplace. Toiletries are often overlooked when recycling.
Buy second hand. Platforms like Vinted, eBay and Facebook Marketplace are great ways to source some real treasures (and is often much cheaper and more fun!)
Make sustainability part of language learning. If your child is receiving speech and language therapy, use recycling or shopping as a chance to model new language. For example, involve your child in sorting the recycling and comment on what you are doing ‘I’m putting the lid on the recycling bin’. Or explore the supermarket together, looking for food with less packaging and naming what you find.
Looking ahead
We’re really only at the start of this journey, and there’s so much more to learn. But we’re committed to changing and adapting for the children and families we support. We know from our experience in delivering therapy that small steps can make a big difference.
If you’ve got any ideas for how we can be greener in our practice – we’d love to hear from you!
