As sustainability becomes an increasingly important pillar of modern veterinary care, infection control products are receiving new levels of scrutiny, not only for their hygiene performance, but also for their environmental footprint, waste generation, safety profile, and alignment with emerging profession-wide sustainability standards.

Environmental frameworks from organisations such as the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), Vet Sustain, the British Veterinary Association (BVA), and the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) encourage practices to evaluate the full lifecycle impact of their clinical consumables. Disinfectants, traditionally dominated by chlorine, hypochlorite, and alcohol chemistry, represent one of the highest-impact categories due to transport weight, plastic use, corrosivity, hazardous waste, and carbon intensity.

The SANI-99™ for Vets Environmental Impact Report 2025 provides one of the first comprehensive lifecycle analyses for a veterinary disinfectant. The findings offer a useful reference point for practices evaluating how to integrate sustainability into everyday infection control decisions.

1. Environmental Impact of Common Veterinary Disinfectants

Conventional disinfectants such as sodium hypochlorite, chlorine tablets, and alcohol-based agents remain widely used in veterinary practices, hospitals and referrals sites. However, the report highlights several operational and environmental drawbacks associated with these traditional products, including:

• Corrosivity to instruments, surfaces, and flooring
• High volumes of plastic packaging and associated transport emissions
• Short shelf life and regular reconstitution requirements
• Toxic residues that may require specialist disposal
• Staff exposure risks related to fumes and skin contact

These challenges underline why sustainable procurement now requires veterinary teams to look beyond efficacy alone when selecting disinfectants.

2. Lifecycle Carbon Analysis

A key contribution of the Environmental Impact Report is its detailed carbon footprint assessment across Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, covering raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, transport, usage and disposal.

The analysis demonstrates a marked contrast between traditional chlorine-based disinfectants and a modern low-impact alternative:

• Traditional chlorine-based disinfectants: approximately 2,000 g CO₂e per litre
• SANI-99™ for Vets: approximately 3 g CO₂e per litre

This equates to a reduction in lifecycle carbon emissions of more than 99.8% per litre of disinfectant used.

Much of this reduction arises from a lightweight 6 g powder sachet, which replaces around one litre of liquid disinfectant. This format dramatically reduces transport emissions and plastic waste, while also cutting storage requirements within the practice.

3. Waste Reduction and Resource Efficiency

Packaging waste is a key sustainability hotspot in veterinary practice. Traditional liquid disinfectants often rely on large plastic drums or bottles, creating significant volumes of chemical-contaminated waste.

The report highlights several improvements associated with a sachet-based powder format:

• Up to 90% reduction in plastic packaging waste compared with bulky liquid formats
• Elimination of bulky containers, improving storage efficiency
• No requirement for specialist chemical waste disposal
• Reduced transport weight and pallet space, lowering logistics-related emissions
• Non-corrosive chemistry, reducing damage to surfaces, equipment and flooring

For practices working toward waste minimisation and circular economy goals, these reductions represent a practical and measurable improvement.

4. Staff Safety and Workplace Wellbeing

Exposure to harsh disinfectants is a recognised occupational risk in veterinary medicine. Chlorine and alcohol-based agents may contribute to respiratory irritation, skin reactions and fume-related discomfort, particularly in enclosed spaces or where ventilation is limited.

The Environmental Impact Report notes that SANI-99™ for Vets is classified as non-hazardous under COSHH guidance, with a non-toxic, non-corrosive and VOC-free profile. In routine use, this reduces the need for extensive PPE and helps to:

• Lower the risk of contact dermatitis and other skin irritation
• Reduce exposure to harsh fumes for clinical and nursing teams
• Improve comfort for animal handlers and cleaning staff
• Support safer cleaning protocols across wards, prep rooms and public areas

For practices with a strong focus on staff wellbeing and retention, the safety profile of infection control products is an increasingly relevant consideration.

5. Operational Efficiency in Veterinary Settings

Infection control processes must be reliable and straightforward to support busy clinical workflows. The report sets out several operational advantages linked to a stable, powder-based disinfectant system:

• A stable, long-life powder that reduces product spoilage and wastage
• A universal dilution ratio suitable for multiple applications
• Proven efficacy: contact times within 10–30 seconds against a broad spectrum of bacteria and viruses
• 99% space saving in storage compared with equivalent liquid volumes
• Simplified inventory management and easier distribution between clinical areas

These factors can support consistent infection control while reducing the complexity often associated with multiple products, differing contact times and variable dilution requirements.

6. Alignment with Veterinary Sustainability Frameworks

The Environmental Impact Report positions low-carbon disinfectant systems as supportive of wider sustainability ambitions across the profession, including:

• RCVS and BVA sustainability objectives
• Vet Sustain's “Sustainable Practice” themes
• UK Net Zero 2050 commitments
• One Health principles relating to environmental impact and public health

Key contributions include:

• Substantial reductions in Scope 3 emissions linked to chemical procurement and transport
• Lower plastic usage and reduced hazardous waste streams
• Biodegradable active ingredients with no aquatic toxicity or bioaccumulative impact
• A safer working environment for veterinary teams

For groups and hospitals reporting on corporate sustainability, these characteristics may contribute to measurable progress against internal environmental targets and external reporting requirements.

7. Considerations for Veterinary Procurement Teams

Procurement decisions increasingly sit at the intersection of clinical quality, cost-effectiveness and environmental responsibility. The Environmental Impact Report emphasises the importance of evaluating both the clinical performance and the lifecycle environmental impact of disinfectants used in practice.

The documentation available for SANI-99™ for Vets includes:

• Full lifecycle carbon reporting across Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
• Independent testing to relevant EN standards for bactericidal and virucidal efficacy
• Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and regulatory dossier
• Environmental and emissions summaries suitable for sustainability audits

Access to this level of evidence can assist practices pursuing accreditation, ISO 14001 frameworks or corporate ESG reporting, and supports transparent, evidence-based procurement decisions.

Conclusion

The shift toward sustainable veterinary infection control is gaining momentum, driven by environmental responsibility, workplace safety and operational efficiency. The findings from the SANI-99™ for Vets Environmental Impact Report 2025 provide an evidence-based foundation for practices that wish to reduce their carbon footprint, minimise waste and improve staff wellbeing, while maintaining robust standards of hygiene and biosecurity.

By assessing disinfectants through a lifecycle lens, considering carbon intensity, packaging, safety profile and end-of-life behaviour, veterinary practices can make informed choices that support both patient care and long-term environmental stewardship.