8:12am Wednesday 1st April 2009
By Helen Mead
Environmental awareness is becoming deeply ingrained in the way we live – both at home and at work.
Across the country, businesses now realise that issues such as waste reduction, resource efficiency, environmental management and ‘green’ legislation can no longer be ignored.
By doing their bit, and taking steps to reduce their impact on the environment, firms can not only be more eco-friendly, but can increase their efficiency and profits, discover new business opportunities and gain a competitive advantage.
But many firms are unsure as to how to improve their green credentials.
A growing number are turning to a Bradford-based service for advice and guidance. Better Business Environment Forum (BBEF) can help firms to identify benefits and opportunities linked to greening-up their business.
Established 15 years ago as a forum for communication on environmental topics, BBEF offers free, confidential environmental advice through face-to-face events and seminars, e-bulletins and monthly updates.
Based at Bradford Chamber in Vicar Lane, Little Germany, it has developed a strong reputation for informing different businesses and networking, and is often a first port of call for advice.
One of the key advantages of BBEF’s expertise is its ability to link companies to funded schemes for environmental projects, and act as a local hub for networking. Through BBEF, businesses can meet others with similar problems and explore solutions.
Businesses of all types have joined the forum, which now boasts around 700 members from across Yorkshire and Humberside. As well as being the host organisation, Bradford Chamber seeks out funding opportunities.
“We are the first port of call for environmental queries and put firms in touch with the appropriate agencies such as the Carbon Trust, Environment Agency and Envirowise,” says the forum’s environmental business adviser, Sam Saxby. It also puts them in touch with technical specialists.
“And we help people to make the most of any Government funding or grants,” adds Sam. “It can be quite difficult for a business to know exactly what is available and who to contact.”
It also helps businesses to keep pace with legal requirements and keep abreast of legislation surrounding a firm’s environmental ‘footprint’.
LH Plastics in Otley Road has been involved with the forum for around four years – and in that time has seen a 75 per cent reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill. Says quality director Paul Horvath: “We were asked whether we wanted to be involved and we did – we wanted advice as to how to improve our environmental practices.
The company found that an increasing number of customers were inquiring about environmental credentials and wanted to do as much as possible to gain a stamp of approval.
“The forum put us in touch with other businesses and helped us to run events on environmental issues,” says Paul.
They received funding for a raft of improvements through help from Bradford Chamber, the free support service Business Link and Yorkshire Forward. This enabled them to pay for a consultancy to set up an environmental management system, and helped them to buy equipment to recycle waste.
“The plastic parts we manufacture have a waste component material that can be re-ground into small pellets – Yorkshire Forward gave us a grant of 50 per cent of the cost towards three grinders which have been invaluable. We can re-use a lot of our waste, and give away other waste for re-use at other companies. We give it away for free, which is better than paying for it to go into landfill.”
Events run by the forum include activities to identify the type of waste companies produce, to see whether it can be matched with another firm which may be able to make use of it.
Thanks to this service, waste from LHP Plastics – primarily plastic, cardboard and paper – is reclaimed and re-used by other firms. Says Paul: “A company comes to collect our used shrink-wrap and plastic foam and bags, which is great as it being kept out of landfill.”
Previously, the company filled two skips, with the waste being collected twice a week. Now, with plastic and cardboard waste being recycled, one skip is collected every fortnight.
He adds: “Most of our plastic waste is reused – if there was a process that could make use of mixed plastics we could get rid of all of it.”
Advice also led to the firm investing in a special unit which monitors electricity usage and ensures that machines do not use more than they need. They also secured a four-year interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust for environmental improvements.
Increasingly, customers are asking firms about their environmental credentials, says Andy Wear, quality engineer with LH Plastics: “Quite often we are asked whether we have achieved the ISO (International Standards Organisation) 14001 accreditation. We have not got it yet, but we are working towards it.” The accreditation recognises that a company is managing its operational impact on the environment both in the short and long-term.
Being members of BBEF has brought many benefits, and savings to the company. “There are also tax breaks on equipment which is energy or water efficient,” adds Sam. “Companies and their customers want to be green,
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