GOING GREEN
HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS ? REALLY ?
By Fiona Scott
With action needed to address the climate emergency , the SME community has an important and influential role to play in encouraging behavioural change .
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From improved recycling and energy saving practices to entirely paperless operations and carbon-neutral companies , there is action we can all take now , however small , to become part of the solution .
Code Red for Humanity Weather patterns across the globe are becoming more extreme , and catastrophic events like floods and wildfires more
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commonplace . Recently a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) issued a ‘ code red for humanity ’.
The IPCC is made up of scientists globally who are supported by governments across the world . It has concluded that human behaviour has changed our climate in unprecedented ways and in some places , this is already irreversible . It concludes that
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since 1970 , global surface temperatures have risen faster than at any time in the last 2,000 years .
SMEs can set the example Incremental changes can make a difference and there are businesses of all sizes across Wiltshire embracing ‘ green ’ within their organisation .
One significant development is
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that those businesses already taking sustainability seriously will be expecting those in their supply chain to do the same , whilst looking to work with partners sharing similar values .
This issue we put the spotlight on local companies leading by example .
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Honestly Ombre
Honestly Ombré in Old Town , Swindon , was founded by Jess Wallbridge in 2017 . Jess has grown the business in line with her own ethical beliefs and it has recently been named ‘ Nail & Beauty Salon of the Year ’ by Scratch magazine , the world ’ s largest nail publication . The business is proud to be Swindon ' s first totally vegan , cruelty-free , non-toxic and eco-friendly beauty and wellness company .
Is your business really green ? We use biodegradable non-latex gloves , vegetable-based hand sanitisers , reusable masks , recycled toilet paper , bamboo cleaning cloths , recyclable paper cups , paper bags , eco teabags , our business cards are made from recycled t-shirts , our tote bags are made from salvaged and recycled plastic bottles , we use soy wax candles and even our nail tables are waxed with a vegetable wax rather than beeswax !
To help our clients make planet-positive changes we also sell bamboo toothbrushes , cutlery sets , cotton buds and cotton face pads , reusable shopping bags , shampoo bars , bath salts in glass jars , bars of soap , soap bags , period cups and metal straws . I do believe we can all rise to this challenge . Jess Wallbridge , Founder Honestly Ombre
BioViron
BioViron International Limited in Royal Wootton Bassett offers businesses 100 per cent plant-based compostable packaging materials . It provides a zero-plastic solution for packaging needs with the aim of helping businesses meet carbon footprint and zero-waste objectives .
For more info : www . honestlyombre . com
Is your business really green ? We are working to get all our processes to be carbon net zero . When we manufacture our materials , we use 68 per cent less energy and 76 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions than comparable amounts of polyethylene . We recycle in the office and we look at recycling materials which we receive in the business . This is an ongoing process .
Over the years we have been developing our compostable product range with limited interest from major companies or small businesses . That ’ s started to change . Over the past three years , we have seen a dramatic increase in orders and far more interest in how our products can help achieve success in fulfilling sustainable policies and achieving carbon neutral objectives . Bruce Bodio , CEO , BioViron
For more info : www . bioviron . com
12 www . tbeswindonandwilts . co . uk