Greener Business - Quick Action Guide
Things businesses and organisations can do to help reduce climate change:
- Save electricty and reduce costs at the same time
Turn off lights and electrical devices when not in use, and look to replace light bulbs with energy efficient ones that last up to 12 times longer than standard bulbs.
- Reduce water and heating costs
Fitting percussion taps, ensuring hot water tanks are insulated and boilers are well maintained can all help to reduce water heating costs and will help lower carbon dioxide emissions.
- Reduce car use through technology solutions such as video conferencing,
Businesses can use high-technology solutions to avoid travel such as videoconferencing and web cams (external link) which can also be more cost effective.
- Where cars and other vehicles are used ensure they are fuel efficient.
Where cars are provided to employees look to move to more fuel-efficient cars, visit The Energy Saving Trust (external link)
- Replace electrical devices with more energy efficient models when they reach the end of their life span.
- Examine procurement (external link), often there are real financial costs from not being environmentally aware when purchasing.
- Remember that businesses can recycle too!
Remember that paper, glass, and cans can all easily be recycled. Materials from manufacturing can often be recycled too. Contact Wealden business help on 01323 443302
- When refurbishing buildings, use methods and materials that will lower carbon emissions (external link).
- Switch to using electricity from renewable sources
This can have a dramatic effect on lowering carbon dioxide emissions (external link). Business may be able to install microgeneration systems which can provide ‘green’ electricity and excess can be sold back to the grid. The payback time will likely to be shorter from larger installations.
- Consider an eco-audit to find how your business can be more environmentally friendly. Contact betre on 01273 245654 or email help@ecosys.org.uk
- Examine how Environmental Management Systems can help your business.
As well as providing energy and materials savings an whole business environmental approach such as that provided by ISO 14001 can offer improved perception by customers and the media. See our page on EMS.
Examples of what Wealden District Council is doing to help reduce climate change:
- Providing kerbside recycling through CROWN
- (Compost and Recycle Our Waste Now) in much of Wealden, now 30% of collected household waste is recycled.
- Recycling ourselves, council staff are provided with paper recycling bins to encourage recycling, with fewer communal rubbish bins to discourage waste.
- Using press taps in council buildings which save water and lower water heating costs.
- Including issues around sustainability in corporate procurement and in 2006/07 revising our Green Procurement Guide.
- Using 100% renewable energy from hydroelectric in council offices.
