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Staff involvement. You don’t have to have an environment manager to turn your business green. Most businesses have environmental enthusiasts who can help drive forward ideas. Get staff to form a Green Team. Put up a Green Board so staff can see progress as well as add great new ideas.
Have fun. Saving the environment is important but it doesn’t always have to be so deadpan. Hold a company Green Day to explore why environmental issues matter and what can be done. Offer prizes! £50 for the best idea to save the company money can be a most worthwhile capital investment.
Find out what other businesses are doing. There may be great green initiatives going on next door whilst you’ve still got your head stuck in landfill! Talk to your neighbours or other businesses in your industry to find out what really works and what doesn’t. By working together it may also be possible to pool resources and reduce costs for all.
Reduce, reuse, recycle. We have already paid for most of the waste we dispose of, so reducing waste can cut costs at both ends. Reduce. Ask your suppliers not to use such oversized boxes and see if they’ll take back empty packaging. It’s a win-win situation, saving them material costs and you disposal charges. Reuse. If that cardboard box is still in good nick, why not send out your finished products in it? Impress your customers with your green thinking. Recycle. Landfill tax is rocketing. You may even pick up a few quid for those old pallets or that vat of old cooking oil!
Get on top of your utilities. Do you find your utility bills overcomplicated and full of small print? Do you know what CCL* stands for on your electricity bill? And more importantly, why it costs you £50 every month?! Delve into you bills to find quick savings.
Look at your supply chain. Put pressure on your supply chain to improve their green credentials. Try to buy recycled products – close the loop and help build green markets.
Shout about it! Let people know of your green achievements and win new customers. Consider going for a Green Award, such as the Arun Business Partnership Awards, or a recognised standard, such as ISO14001 or BS8555; increasingly sought by larger firms in the tendering process.
Winner: Sandfield House
Frances and David Farrer Brown ensure that Sandfield House hotel embraces a ‘green’ policy but not at the expense of guests’ comfort and enjoyment.
Frances serves homemade, home-grown or local produce, and the bedrooms and bathrooms don’t escape greening either! Sandfield House has a Rainharvester which collects the water and puts it through two filters and ultra-violet sterilisation. The hot water is also heated by solar panels on the roof.
Frances says: "Being green is important in today's world. If everyone does a little bit, quantities of little bits make a lot of difference. I’m thrilled to have been given this award.”
Sandfield House
01903 724129
Sponsor: University of Chichester
The University of Chichester was very proud to have sponsored the Green Business of the Year Award.
“Being green is increasingly important to the University and an area in which we are making significant investment. We believe that 'green business' is closely related to 'innovative business' and we strive to achieve innovation in our courses, our training, research and consultancy activities.”
Andy Dixon, Head of Research and Employer Engagement
University of Chichester
01243 812125
www.chiuni.ac.uk
