Envirowise WALES is helping businesses take practical steps to Reduce Costs and Maximise Profit at events in Wrexham and Cardiff in early November. These half day workshops are completely free to Welsh businesses with over 50 employees, and we guarantee that every single attending business will walk away with at least three practical ways to save money – so not even the busiest manager has an excuse not to attend. A packed schedule will not only cover money saving but also feature an introduction to Industrial Symbiosis. This is a proven model which examines how waste from one company can be raw material for another and has already diverted over 5 million tonnes of previously land-filled resources into higher value end uses, saving its members over £5million in the process. The Welsh area of the Envirowise website can be reached here:
In NORTHERN IRELAND the Construction Supply Chain project continued to gather momentum with a successful June workshop and the completion of the Resource Diagnostic Tool for the construction sector. The Envirowise Northern Ireland team continue to be proactive across its priority sectors following on from earlier activities. Earlier this year the NI team reported a huge £400k of identified potential savings as part of a scoping exercise in the Tourism and Accommodation sector within the region, for example. Within the Food & Drink industry it identified a staggering £1.3 million worth of potential cost savings, with 17 companies alone averaging a saving of almost £58,430 after participating in a targeted initiative. Northern Irish businesses can jump straight to their page on the website by clicking here http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/ni.html
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In ENGLAND, the SW Regional Development Agency and Envirowise are joining forces to create a major initiative for the region's production sector, helping it to cut costs, improve efficiencies and kickstart the sector's economic recovery in the region. South West Suppliers Resource Efficiency Masterclasses will take place this Autumn and consist of five workshops which will span critical areas including energy, waste, smart manufacturing, water and environmental management. Previous similar initiatives have been extremely successful – for example Center Parcs identified £900k of potential savings across 54 suppliers as a result of one programme. The new workshop series will feature expert speakers and are produced in association with the SWRDA, Business Link and the SW Manufacturing Advisory Service.
Dorset sees some new initiatives too, in the form of workshops which are designed to help local businesses support the South West region's transition towards a low-carbon economy. The Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with the SW Manufacturing Advisory Service are partnering with Envirowise to create workshops that include topics such as the Low Carbon Economy, Green Marketing and Eco Design. Further information will be available from the Dorset Chamber at www.dorsetbusiness.net or direct from Envirowise’s regional manager for the south west rob.graham@envirowise.co.uk.
Envirowise East Midlands Manufacturers Resource Commitment Series has kicked off very successfully with the support of 11 prestigious locally-based companies including Coca Cola, Timpsons, Denby Potteries and Toyota Car Manufacturing UK. The second of three events will focus on Waste & Water and will be held at Toyota’s Burnaston plant on 28 October. Companies interested in joining this local commitment are invited to contact the regional manager directly by email at Richard.thompson@envirowise.gov.uk.
Envirowise SCOTLAND continues to be active around many of the strategic environmental issues that are being pursued by Holyrood. As well as running its own events the team is supporting key events such as Managing Scotland's Water on 24 September in Edinburgh, and appearing at the CIWM Scottish Waste & Resources Conference & Exhibition 2009, which takes place in Glasgow on 6 October. It is also playing an active role at the Sustainable Scottish Network Conference in November. You can jump straight to the Scotland Events and also find all the information you need to become a more sustainable Scottish business here:
http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/scotland/Envirowise-in-Scotland.html