Sir, in light of the masses of single-use plastic personal protective equipment (PPE) being used across the workforce in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I urge the profession to not lose enthusiasm in the fight for more sustainable dentistry. There are always measures that can be taken to reduce our carbon footprint. I would like to highlight the Green Impact dentistry programme1 that provides awards for promoting and endorsing sustainability. They have developed a toolkit available to all dental practices, so that sustainability can be audited and strived for. Not only will changes contribute to the agenda of sustainability, but they can also benefit practices through cost savings, improved efficiency and staff and patient engagement.

I would encourage all dental practices to have a look at the toolkit, as there are multiple suggestions for positive change. Single use PPE is a huge issue and is unlikely to change in the immediate future. Instead of feeling defeated by this, we should look at the aspects of our work environment which we can control. There is always something that can be done.