PORT LUDLOW — Jefferson County Environmental Health announced Port Ludlow Dentistry as the second business in Port Ludlow to qualify for the EnviroStars program at a 4-star level.
It joins Port Ludlow Marina, which is both an EnviroStar and a Clean Marina Washington business, according to a news release.
The mission of EnviroStars is to provide assistance and incentives for smaller businesses to reduce hazardous materials and waste in order to protect public health, municipal systems and the environment.
Stephen Porter, D.M.D. and his staff of Port Ludlow Dentistry have successfully developed systems to make their office at 9522 Oak Bay Road a clean and green business, the news release stated.
In order to qualify at a 4-star level, Porter and his staff need to have a number of systems in place to effectively manage hazardous waste.
They recapture and recycle mercury in office wastewater through the use of an amalgam separator.
They also use a cutting-edge fixer recovery system to prevent hazardous metals from reaching Port Ludlow Bay.
In their commitment to using environmentally-friendly products, Port Ludlow Dentistry staff changed a number of products as part of their EnviroStar certification.
They now use a steam cleaner for their floors with a microfiber mop head that can be cleaned and reused.
No soaps are needed and the floors are sanitary.
They also use a steam autoclave instead of a system that requires chemicals.
As part of the EnviroStar certification process, Porter’s office created employee task sheets for handling amalgam waste, recycling x-ray waste, vacuum trap replacement and proper disposal of fluorescent light bulbs that contain mercury.
Jefferson County Environmental Health has been part of the EnviroStars Cooperative for 15 years. The cooperative provides support for businesses in exemplary hazardous waste management and dedication to environmental stewardship.
A list of certified businesses can be found at EnviroStars.org.
For more information on EnviroStars in Jefferson County, phone Laura Tucker at 360-379-4491.