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Issue 16 Autumn 2006
Companies almostdouble target resourceefficiency savings
GBN appoints newexecutive officer
Eleven companies spanningBedfordshire, Luton and MiltonKeynes have made savings totalling£465, 776 by participating in theGreen Business Network’s (GBN)Resource Efficiency ActionProgramme (REAP).This is almostdouble the Network’s originaldeclared target of £250,000.
In September 2005, the Networkreceived money from government bodyEnvirowise (funded from Landfill Tax) tohelp local companies save money throughreduced waste, energy, water and moreefficient production processes.
Under REAP, businesses have receivedvisits from experts to help identify wheresavings can be made, been given trainingin Waste Awareness and other relevantareas, and have also had help to measureand monitor cost savings achieved.
The companies involved have come froma broad spectrum of industry sectors,
and range from multi-nationals to smallerindependent enterprises. Companiesinvolved include:Weber BuildingSolutions, Charles Wells Brewery,Grundfos Pumps, Degussa Goldschmidt,Hain Celestial UK (formerly Heinz),Forest of Marston Vale, and HMM.
Businesses taking part in the programmeranged from those that had alreadyundertaken some resource efficiencymeasures complete newcomers to theprocess.All made significant savings.
The original eleven companies willcontinue to be involved with the REAPproject for the next two years and willbe joined by many others who havealready signed up for next year’sresource efficiency programme.
REAP is open to all businesses in theprivate sector, and companies interestedin taking part should contact GBN byemail: [email protected] orby telephone on: 07792 480986.
GBN is delighted to announce thatClaire Atkins has just beenappointed executive officer.
Claire comes to us from the EnvironmentAgency where she worked as a leadenvironmental officer for Bedfordshire.Previously, she worked in planning andtransportation for the East of EnglandRegional Assembly, and in consultancy forE4Environment. She has a BSc (Hons) inEnvironmental BioGeo Science and is dueto complete an MSc in EnvironmentalManagement for Business in September.
Claire’s role in GBN will be to projectmanage current and future initiatives.Wewill be introducing her to you as soon aspossible.
We would also like to take this chance tothank Sarah Williams, whose secondmentfrom Beds County Council ended lastmonth, for all her hard work, not justover the past year, but several beforethat. I’m sure you’ll join us in wishingSarah well with new challenges.And wewill still see her supporting GBN events.
The Annual Rising Stars BusinessExcellence Awards are now openfor entries from any company inBedfordshire and Luton.
There are several categories in theAwards, and GBN members have beenparticularly successful when entering theSustainable Business Award. Previousyear’s winners include Harry MajorMachine, Newnorth Print, Grundfos
Pumps and Arenson Group. Case studiescan be found at www.blsbp.co.uk.
Entries are free, simple to complete, andcan lead to excellent publicity.To enter,download forms and guidelines from:http://www2.bedfordtoday.co.uk/risingstars06/home.htm Alternatively, contactMarianne Ryan on 01234 409163.
The closing date for entries isFriday 15 September 2006.
Business Excellence Awards 2006 now open
The Environment Agency hasrecently introduced the HAZREDproject – an initiative under whichthe Agency will work with smallerbusinesses in key industry sectors toset waste reduction targets anddevelop waste reduction plans toreduce hazardous waste output.
HAZRED has been developed inresponse to recent changes to hazardouswaste legislation, which mean that manybusinesses are incurring greater costs todispose of hazardous waste.They are alsofacing less disposal options under EUpolicies that aim to encourage theconsideration of the waste hierarchy –re-use, reduce, recover and disposal.
If you work within one of the six prioritysectors in the UK or Ireland and yourbusiness has less than 250 staff then youcould be eligible to take part in thispioneering project.The priority sectorsare:
● Manufacture of Speciality Organic Chemicals
● Treatment and Coating of Metals
● Manufacture of Machinery and Equipment
● General Construction and Building
● Maintenance and Repair of Motor Vehicles
● Photographic Activities.
If your business could benefit from thisfree advice and you would like moreinformation, either visit the Agencywebsite at www.environment-agency.gov.uk, or www.hazred.org.uk
EnvironmentAgency Update
Jeremy Hay of the EnvironmentAgency reports on a new project tohelp businesses cut hazardous waste.
Supporting localenvironmental projectcould meet CSR goalsCranfield University and theWildlife Trust have been awarded£25K for a water managementproject at the Felmersham NatureReserve near Bedford.The awardhas been made by the SITA Trust,which supports biodiversity projectsnear to landfill sites in England.Companies that are embarking onCorporate Social Responsibilityinitiatives may find thatparticipating in this project wouldhelp to meet their objectives.
The project, due to start in October2006, depends on matched funding of
£2.6K in order to proceed and Cranfieldis looking for one or more sponsorswho would like to be associated withthis local environmental project.
In return for financial support thesponsor(s) would gain publicity in alllocal and national dissemination activitiesassociated with the project includingnewsletters, website, presentations,reports and scientific papers.
If you would like to contribute to thisproject or receive more information,please contact Sean Tyrrel at CranfieldUniversity ([email protected]).
The Luton Chamber of Commercehas recently become an accrediteddeliverer of European informationservices under the banner ofEurope Direct.
Europe Direct is a service aimed athelping businesses find answers to anyquestions they have about the EuropeanUnion. It offers information on a varietyof subjects relating to the EuropeanUnion and can provide direct responsesto general enquiries.Typical enquiriesrange from questions about cross border
issues such as travelling, working andstudying through to consumer issues andemployment and social affairs.
Being a Europe Direct centre means theChamber is the local contact for bulkordering of European Union publications,including many on environmental issues.
For more information, contact JennyDempsey on 01582 522313, or [email protected] visit the website atwww.chamber-business.com
Chamber offers business advice on European issues
Pictured above: Some of the many people visiting the GBN stand at the Springwatch eventheld earlier this year at Marston Vale.
Leisure providers such as pubs,clubs and restaurants are gettingthe message to go green andrecycle, according to wastemanagement and recyclingspecialists Firbank Chiltern.
The Bedfordshire-based firm recycled789 tonnes of glass bottles in June andJuly – the equivalent in weight to 56double-decker London buses and anincrease of 30 per cent from the sameperiod last year.
A third of the glass collected over thesummer was from the leisure industrydue to more outlets signing up tospecialised recycling schemes provided by
the company.The rise is also beingattributed to the summer heatwave andthousands of football fans packing pubsand clubs to watch the World Cup.
Chairman Robert Firbank said:“We aredelighted with the increase in glassrecycling we have seen over the summermonths.Above all else it shows thatleisure providers are taking the initiativeto improve the environment and gogreen.”
Firbank Chiltern operates its glass wastecollection, segregation and recyclingservice throughout Bedfordshire,Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire,Northamptonshire and north London.
FPS Matting and WashroomServices has launched two newproducts to help companies cutwater and energy use inwashrooms.
The FPS Sani-sleeve is theenvironmentally friendly answer to smellyurinals. It saves water, needs nohazardous chemicals and usesbiotechnology to eliminate odours, andcan be retro-fitted to existing urinals orfitted to new ones.
The FPSXlerator isa handdrier thatcan reduceenergy consumption by 82%, whilst alsodelivering a cost saving of up to 99%when compared to other methods ofhand drying.
For more information or for a freesurvey, call FPS Matting and WashroomServices on: 01234 314500.
Volkswagen Group UK Ltd recentlylaunched its new EnvironmentalPolicy, providing a framework for allGroup brands – Audi, SEAT, Skoda,Volkswagen and VolkswagenCommercial Vehicles – to promoteenvironmental responsibility.
This is not the start of environmentalactivity at Volkswagen: the company hasalready taken a number of steps toreduce its ‘environmental footprint’,including switching to renewable energyto power its two sites in Milton Keynes;buying 100 per cent recycled paper forits head office; and encouraging staff toreduce and recycle waste.
Externally, the Volkswagen Group is keento exert its influence further byencouraging partners and suppliers toembrace the principles set out in itsenvironmental policy.
Volkswagen Group UK has also joinedGBN and signed up to the REAP project,which enables companies to receiveadvice on resource efficiency and shareenvironmental best practice with otherlike-minded companies.
Furniture giant IKEA has beenreceiving help from waste recyclingexperts and GBN members F&RCawley in re-using and recyclingwaste materials.
Bedfordshire-based F&R Cawley iscontracted to collect IKEA’s packagingand other waste for recycling at itsLuton-based Materials ReclamationFacility (MRF), which the company hasrecently expanded and improved.
IKEA has also introduced a number ofinnovative measures at its new MiltonKeynes store, such as collecting rainwater from the roof and using it to flushthe toilets, and charging for plastic bags.The proceeds of which are then donatedto environmental charities.
F&R Cawley helps IKEAto recycle waste
A property in Heath and Reachnear Leighton Buzzard has becomethe first property to have a gridconnected domestic roof mounted“micro wind turbine generator ”,installed by GBN member ChilternFuture Energy Ltd.
South Bedfordshire Council grantedplanning permission for the installationafter a thorough review of theapplication, involving extensiveconsultation with local and otherstakeholders. South Bedfordshire Councilis one of the first local authorities togrant such permission in the UK, and thefirst in the region.
The installation was undertaken,commissioned and handed over byChiltern Future Energy, which is anexperienced Renewable EnergyEngineering company. It is one of only a
handful of companies in the UK that hasDTI approval to undertake installationsof small scale wind, solar electric (PV)and solar Hot water systems under theEnergy Savings Trust grant supportscheme, which is available to domesticconsumers, local authorities, NGOs andbusinesses in the UK.
The wind turbine is expected togenerate 700 units of clean CO2 freeelectricity from the wind, and will beused within the property.Any extraenergy produced that is not neededwithin the property will be exported tothe grid for use elsewhere.This one smallwind turbine is expected to produce athird of the house’s total electricityneeds over a year.
For more information, [email protected] tel: 01491-845506.
Member news.... Member news.... Member news....Volkswagen launchesenvironmental policy
FPS launches environmentallyfriendly washroom products
GBN member installs first grid connected domesticwind generator
Firbank Chiltern encourages recycling in the leisure industry
GBN members are welcometo send their news through tous for consideration. Pleaseemail us at [email protected]
Events and Training
Disclaimer
“These updates are for guidance only. GBN is not in aposition to give definitive advice on matters concerningthe law and you should always consult your legal advisorson these matters. GBN does not accept liability for anyerrors, omissions or misleading information.”
EMS Support Seminars in Association with NQA
Useful Websiteswww.gbn-bedfordshire.org.uk
www.blsbp.co.uk
www.bedfordshire-waste-exchange.co.uk
www.carbontrust.co.uk
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
www.edie.net
www.envirowise.gov.uk
www.detr.gov.uk
www.netregs.gov.uk
All seminars start promptly at 8.30 withnetworking and refreshments availablefrom 8.00. Places are limited to 30 foreach session. Please fill in the form onthe GBN website to book your place inadvance.
Wednesday 20 September
Environmental Policy andIntegrating your System
In this session we will look at writingenvironmental policies and how thesewill integrate with other management orhealth and safety systems you mayalready have in place.
Wednesday 18 October
Green Purchasing
While your own company’s practicesmay be environmentally sound, can thesame be said about those of your
suppliers? We will be looking at sourcing,assessing others’ environmental policies,and generally focusing on how to putpressure on your suppliers to ensuretheir products and services have minimalenvironmental impact.
Wednesday 15 November
Environmental Auditing
This session will provide a practicalintroduction on what to audit, how toperform an environmental audit, andwhat tools we can use. For theworkshop session, we will be performingan environmental audit on The ForestCentre at Marston Vale.
For more information, or to bookonline visit www.gbn-bedfordshire.org.uk
The Forest CentreStation RoadMarston Moretaine,Bedford MK43 OPR
www.gbn-bedfordshire.org.uk
Claire Atkins tel: 07792 480986email: [email protected]
Ratna Morjaria tel: 01908 289561email: [email protected]
General enquiries:email: [email protected]
GBN Contacts
Carbon Trust EnergyManagement Workshop
After attending the Green BusinessNetwork’s recently held CIWMWaste Awareness Course, MiltonKeynes based office servicesprovider Control Group sawimmediate ways in which to reducewaste in its operational processes.
Because the company takes delivery ofmaterial for shredding and storing, itemshave to be booked in and loggedthoroughly.This meant that for everyitem delivered, three pieces of paperwere generated, one of which was alwayswaste. Several other delegates on thecourse had already tackled this as aproblem and were able to offer ControlGroup’s Maria Harbod several simplesolutions that she could easily implementon her return to work.
Maria says,“I found the courseimpressively informative and have alreadyincorporated many changes in the waywe work, these changes have savedmoney, energy and paper. Control Groupis keen to do all that it can to help theenvironment.With the help of GBN weare making huge steps towards improvingour processes and saving money.”
The course offers an introduction to theconcept of waste and helps delegates totake a fresh look at all areas of their
business with a view to eliminating someforms of waste altogether. In light of theescalating costs of sending waste tolandfill, together with rising costs of rawmaterials, energy and water, this meansthat most companies are able to savesubstantial amounts of money by puttinga waste reduction programme in place.
GBN’s nationally accredited CIWMWaste Awareness Certificate coursecould help businesses to significantlyreduce the amount of waste they send tolandfill by helping them to take action todesign-out waste and manage the wastethey do produce far more effectively.GBN has already put 30 managers inMilton Keynes, Bedfordshire andsurrounding areas through the WasteAwareness Certificate course, andintends to continue in its drive to savelocal businesses money whilst makingenvironmental improvements.
The next course is fully booked, but wewill be running another one in the nearfuture.To register interest or for moreinformation, please contact [email protected]. It is free to REAPparticipants, £85 +VAT for GBNmembers and £120 +VAT for non-members.
Control Group sees immediate benefitfrom CIWM Waste Awareness Certificate
The Carbon Trust is to run two freehalf-day sessions on 24 October2006 at Bedford, offering practicaladvice on how your organisationcan become more energy efficientand reduce carbon emissions.
Topics covered include analysing yourenergy bill, raising staff awareness,monitoring energy consumption, andanalysing metering and monitoringtechniques.
For more information or to register,email [email protected] or call0800 085 2005.
