Doctors Sally Hewett and Kelly Thompson on Bainbridge Island have the county’s first EnviroStars certified dental office. By implementing strong hazardous waste policies and procedures, the office earned 4-stars (on a five star scale), putting it and its staff on the cutting edge of pollution prevention.

“Dental Assistant Marla Karabinos led the effort – and with tremendous results,” EnviroStars Coordinator Elizabeth McCloskey said. “Marla was very thorough in looking at every aspect of the dental office – every product used, every waste generated, every opportunity for recycling and pollution prevention.”

The office already had an autoclave (a heat and steam sterilization process) which does not require hazardous chemicals for sterilization. Karabinos asked her current suppliers and waste haulers to help them switch to additional new technologies or products. The result was the elimination of gluteraldehyde for sterilization of certain instruments and switching to less hazardous products for cleaning. Drs. Hewett and Thompson also arranged for their waste haulers to recycle additional dental wastes from the office. The office recycles or properly disposes of all mercury and silver-bearing waste streams such as x-ray fixer and they recycle fluorescent lamps and the lead foils that protect x-ray film.

“Drs. Hewett and Thompson wanted to do everything they could to protect the environment and from what I’ve heard, their patients are very interested in all things environmental — including the office’s waste generation and handling. I’m sure their patients will appreciate the extra steps Drs. Hewett and Thompson are taking to safeguard our health and environment,” McCloskey noted.

Drs. Hewett and Thompson are located at 1037 Madison Ave N. on Bainbridge Island and can be reached at (206) 842-9890.

EnviroStars Coordinator McCloskey works in the Business Pollution Prevention Program at the Bremerton-Kitsap County Health District. Technical assistance and EnviroStars certification is available to all businesses, but a special Dental Outreach Project is kicking off this month. EnviroStars staff will be contacting every dental office in Kitsap County with educational materials and the opportunity to become EnviroStars certified. To learn more about EnviroStars businesses or if your business would like to get started on certification right away call the Health District at (360) 692-3611.