St Helens veterinary franchise wins environmental award 2026

Key Points

• Rutland House Vets, a veterinary hospital with branches across St Helens, Widnes, Gateacre, Haydock, Huyton and Warrington, has been awarded the Investors in the Environment (iiE) Silver Award for environmental progress.
• The practice reduced anaesthetic gas use by 17 per cent, staff travel between sites by 17 per cent, and gas consumption by five per cent.
• A dedicated sustainability group was established to lead changes and guide the practice towards iiE accreditation.
• Janie Clare, practice manager and clinical director, emphasised the link between animal health and planetary health, stating sustainability is a natural extension of veterinary care.
• Rutland House is part of VetPartners, which aims to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with targets accredited by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
• VetPartners has introduced Zero Waste Boxes at more than 300 sites across England, Scotland and Wales to recycle hard-to-recycle materials.

St Helens (Liverpool standard) August 01, 2026 – A veterinary hospital in uk/local/st-helens/">St Helens has been recognised for its commitment to environmental sustainability after receiving the Investors in the Environment (iiE) Silver Award. Rutland House Vets, which operates branches in Widnes, Gateacre, Haydock, Huyton and Warrington, was honoured for embedding sustainability throughout its operations, marking a significant milestone in the practice’s green journey.

What environmental award did Rutland House Vets receive?

Rutland House Vets has been awarded the Investors in the Environment (iiE) Silver Award, a prestigious accreditation that recognises organisations for their progress in reducing environmental impact and embedding sustainable practices across their operations.

As reported by the St Helens Star, the award acknowledges the hospital’s efforts to integrate sustainability into every aspect of its work, from clinical procedures to everyday operational decisions.

How has Rutland House Vets reduced its environmental impact?

The veterinary practice has made measurable progress in reducing its carbon footprint and environmental impact across several key areas.

Anaesthetic gas use during procedures has dropped by 17 per cent, representing a significant reduction in volatile greenhouse gas emissions associated with veterinary surgery. Staff travel between the practice’s multiple sites has also decreased by 17 per cent, while overall gas consumption has been reduced by five per cent.

Employees across the organisation have actively contributed to initiatives focused on recycling and waste reduction, covering items ranging from paper to clinical materials. A dedicated sustainability group was created to lead these changes and guide the practice towards iiE accreditation, demonstrating a structured approach to environmental improvement.

What did Janie Clare say about the award?

Janie Clare, practice manager and clinical director at Rutland House, provided detailed statements on the practice’s sustainability journey and the importance of environmental care in veterinary medicine.

As reported by the St Helens Star, Ms Clare said:

“The veterinary profession is built on caring for animals, so protecting the environment is a natural extension of what we do every day.”

She continued:

“We understand the close relationship between animal health and the health of the planet, which is why embracing more sustainable ways of working is so important to us.”

Ms Clare also addressed the challenges of balancing clinical safety with environmental responsibility. She said:

“Veterinary practices inevitably generate waste as we prioritise the safety of our teams, patients and clients, but that also means we have a responsibility to reduce our environmental impact wherever we can.”

On the practice’s collective efforts, Ms Clare said:

“By making practical changes, however small, we can all play a part in creating a more sustainable future.”

She added:

“Our team has fully embraced our sustainability initiatives, and it’s been fantastic to see everyone working together towards a common goal.”

Ms Clare also highlighted client engagement, stating:

“We’ve had a really positive response from clients and we’re looking forward to building on that support as we continue introducing new ways for our practice and community to make a difference.”

How does VetPartners support sustainability across its practices?

Rutland House is part of VetPartners, a veterinary group that has committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The group’s emissions targets are accredited by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), providing independent verification of their climate commitments.

According to VetPartners’ Sustainability and Giving Back Report 2024/25, the group has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 90 per cent over the next 20 years, with the remainder to be offset using permanent carbon removal techniques. The net-zero target uses 2023 as a baseline year and was validated by the SBTi in July 2025.

To support waste reduction across its network, VetPartners has introduced Zero Waste Boxes at more than 300 sites across England, Scotland and Wales. These boxes enable practices to recycle hard-to-recycle materials including empty medicine blister packs, flexible and rigid plastic packaging, disposable PPE such as masks and gloves, pet food packaging, crisp packets, snack packaging and office supplies.

Between January 2024 and June 2025, VetPartners collected and recycled over 10 tonnes of waste and materials with TerraCycle that are not typically accepted by local recycling services. Since 2020, the group has saved more than 32 tonnes of waste from incineration or landfill through this initiative.

What is the Investors in the Environment accreditation scheme?

The Investors in the Environment (iiE) is an accreditation scheme designed to help organisations reduce their impact on the environment through structured environmental management and measurable improvements.

The scheme offers different levels of accreditation, with the Silver Award representing significant progress in sustainability performance. Other veterinary organisations have also achieved iiE recognition, including Fitzpatrick Referrals, which achieved silver accreditation in February 2025 after reducing scope one carbon emissions by 30 per cent and improving recycling across the practice.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) was awarded iiE’s highest ‘green’-level accreditation in October 2022 for improving its sustainability performance. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) achieved Bronze level membership with Investors in the Environment in March 2026.

VetPartners itself earned the iiE silver award in 2023 for helping to lead the way in making the veterinary profession more environmentally friendly.

Background: How did this environmental development come about?

The environmental accreditation awarded to Rutland House Vets represents the culmination of several years of growing awareness and action on sustainability within the veterinary sector.

VetPartners launched its net-zero project in December 2023, committing to calculate scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon footprints and develop an evidence-based strategy to reach net-zero emissions. The group stated it would submit carbon targets to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) for approval in late 2024 or early 2025.

In July 2025, VetPartners’ net-zero targets were validated by the SBTi, committing the group to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2045, compared with a 2023 baseline year. The group also committed to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions intensity by 97 per cent by 2045 from the 2023 base year.

VetPartners has been in partnership with the Investors in the Environment (iiE) accreditation scheme for several years, with the group achieving iiE silver award status in 2023. The partnership has continued through 2024/25, alongside the TerraCycle scheme for recycling hard-to-recycle materials.

On World Veterinary Day in April 2026, VetPartners highlighted that many of its practices have earned iiE or RCVS PSS Environmental Sustainability awards, and the group has been recognised by the iiE annual awards scheme for social impact.

The TerraCycle Zero Waste Boxes scheme was introduced nearly four years prior to 2024, initially focusing on PPE recycling before expanding to include plastic packaging, medication blister packs and pet food pouches. By 2024, the initiative had diverted 18.4 tonnes of waste from incineration or landfill.

Prediction: How will this development affect veterinary practices and the wider community?

The awarding of the iiE Silver Award to Rutland House Vets is likely to have several effects on veterinary practices, the wider veterinary sector and the communities they serve.

For veterinary practices, the recognition provides a validated framework for measuring and improving environmental performance. As more practices pursue iiE accreditation, the veterinary sector may see standardisation of sustainability metrics including anaesthetic gas reduction, energy consumption, travel policies and waste diversion rates. Practices without formal sustainability programmes may face increasing pressure from clients, staff and regulatory bodies to demonstrate environmental responsibility.

For VetPartners and similar multi-site veterinary groups, the achievement reinforces the business case for coordinated sustainability initiatives across multiple locations. The group’s commitment to net zero by 2045, validated by SBTi, positions it to attract environmentally conscious clients and staff while potentially reducing operational costs through energy efficiency and waste reduction.

For pet owners and local communities in St Helens, Widnes, Gateacre, Haydock, Huyton and Warrington, the award signals that veterinary care can be delivered with reduced environmental impact without compromising clinical safety or quality. The positive client response noted by Ms Clare suggests growing consumer demand for sustainable veterinary services, which may influence client choice between practices.

For the broader environmental movement, the veterinary sector’s engagement demonstrates that professional services with significant waste streams and energy demands can make meaningful progress on sustainability. The link between animal health and planetary health articulated by Ms Clare may resonate with the One Health approach, which recognises the interconnection between human, animal and environmental health.

However, challenges remain. Veterinary practices must balance infection control, clinical safety and regulatory compliance with waste reduction goals. The 17 per cent reduction in anaesthetic gas use at Rutland House suggests technical and procedural innovations are possible, but widespread adoption will require investment in equipment, training and potentially changes to clinical protocols.

The long-term effect will depend on whether iiE accreditation becomes a standard expectation for veterinary practices, similar to RCVS practice standards. If client demand and regulatory pressure increase, practices without sustainability programmes may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Conversely, if the veterinary sector achieves its 2045 net-zero targets, it could serve as a model for other healthcare sectors seeking to reduce their environmental footprint.