Environment
Green Business
is Good Business
Changeworks
is
Scotland’s
leading
environmental charity delivering solutions for
low carbon living. Head of Projects, Sam Mills,
shares with us ways to improve energy efficiency
and make your business greener.
After years of discussion and debate, the
climate emergency is now rising up the public
and political agendas. While the problem is
not new, disillusionment and frustration has
led to an increase in activism and we have
seen significant media coverage in recent
months of people, young and old, voicing their
anger. Youth protests have taken place across
Europe, led by the brave and inspiring actions
of Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, and
wider demonstrations in the UK by Extinction
Rebellion brought parts of Edinburgh and
London to a standstill.
This increase in action has not gone
unnoticed. Ireland’s parliament, the UK
parliament, Scotland’s First Minister and
Welsh Government have declared a climate
emergency. Other countries, such as Australia,
are discussing whether to follow suit.
While the climate crisis can be seen a complex
issue relevant only to large industry, the reality
is that it is everyone’s responsibility and small-
scale collective action can achieve significant
results. Making small changes will not only
reduce the environmental impact of a business
but can also reduce costs, improve reputation
and potentially increase sales. Below are
suggestions of some of the ways you can make
your business greener:
1. Embrace the circular
economy
Recycling is often the first thing that comes to
mind when thinking of environmentally friendly
behaviours. While it is important, reducing the
amount of waste generated in the first place
and finding opportunities for your business,
or another, to reuse materials or products
can make a bigger impact. The concept of
the circular economy is not new - essentially
all materials and products, through design,
remain in use for as long as possible to obtain
maximum value. By reshaping business and
economic systems, waste can be ‘designed out’
of how we live and work. Examples of circular
economy business models include:
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Hiring or leasing products instead of
purchasing.
Offering an incentive – financial or other
– for the return of used products so they
can be refurbished and re-sold.
Renting or sharing products between
businesses – setting up peer-to-peer
networks can facilitate sharing clubs.
Refurbishing existing items such as office
furniture can be cheaper than buying new
– according to the UK Waste Resource
Action Programme (WRAP) only 14% of
office desks are reused each year.
2. Recycling
Separating your waste to enable recycling is
simple and can reduce waste uplift costs. If you
have decided to purchase electronic equipment
instead of leasing, research how they can be
recycled when being replaced. Items might be
able to be used by schools and charities or
recycled by a manufacturer (companies like
Dell and HP have asset recycling programmes).
Last year global electronic and electrical waste
reached 50 million tonnes, more than the
weight of all commercial airlines ever made
and only a fraction was recycled.
3. Energy consumption
Simple energy efficiency actions such as
switching off lights, appliances and monitors
can reduce overall energy consumption as
well as reducing fuel bills. Leaving a computer
monitor on overnight can cost £50 over a year.
Most new electronic items have an energy star
rating to assist in choosing the most efficient
model. Comparing products will enable you
to make a balanced choice about your needs
and environmental impacts. Fuel suppliers
are now offering green tariffs, guaranteeing
the percentage generated through renewable
means. Alternatively, sourcing your energy
through renewables directly, such as solar
Maintaining
momentum in
addressing the
climate crisis is
critical
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