Envirowise is helping to bring sectors together to learn, share and develop. It is vital that each industry becomes more aware of its specific problems and responsibilities, and identifies routes towards cost and resource efficiency. We know that the best way to help you do this is to bring you specific tools, events and opportunities to network, think and work for change together.
Helping resource efficiency take off for aerospace
In Scotland Envirowise has established an Environment forum for the cluster of Aerospace companies around Prestwick Airport. The Prestwick Aerospace Park Initiative is an impartial forum which kicked off in September 2009, and will help to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience between aerospace businesses as well as to provide expert information and advice, thus aiding forum participants to improve industry-wide performance on environmental matters.
Designing an online community
Our new innovative Design Box forums aim to provide designers with a toolbox of options and expert design ideas to satisfy a fast-growing appetite for information on the topic. Since June this year we have been utilizing the internet to help create a vibrant online community of designers via a discussion forum within which designers can exchange information, discuss eco-challenges and ask questions of Envirowise experts within a secure environment. Each month users can also attend chat sessions with expert keynote speakers from the world of design. The sessions are fully interactive with an Instant Message style facility to ask questions 'live' – some strong debates have already ensued and lasted for up to 2 full hours, and we expect this enthusiasm to continue. Sessions are held on the first Thursday of each month at 10.00 a.m. GMT in October through until March 2010. Register here at www.envirowise.gov.uk/designbox
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Wasting resources? Pack it in
If you have a particular packaging design issue and want to get started right away, why not download our new Pack In tool? This new packaging indicator tool for eco-design enables businesses to compare the environmental profile of their packaging designs in order to identify where improvements can be made. The tool builds an environmental profile of current packaging systems by looking at the types and volume of materials used, how this arrives at your facilities and where they come from, and data on product and packaging volumes. It then analyses and presents back the information around key factors such as recycled content, recyclability, product/pack ratio, volumetric efficiency, embodied carbon and transport in order to help you make smarter decisions. You can find the tool at www.envirowise.gov.uk/pack-in.
Making the difference
Where design meets manufacture can have a major impact – Envirowise is offering a series of free Cleaner Design and Production seminars and clinics to help manufacturers apply eco-design principles from optimized product design to more efficient production lines. These events are perfect for product and design engineers, design solution providers and product line managers as well as representatives from operations, production management and the environmental management team. The agenda includes not just the seeking out of cost efficiencies and some powerful case studies, but also important updates on Producer Responsibility legislation.
Various dates are planned with the first London date imminent – if you are interested in attending the event on 23 September then email georgina.webb@envirowise.gov.uk immediately. Further dates are planned for Swindon in November and Birmingham in January 2010.
Bringing the future to life
An Envirowise initiative to bring life sciences businesses from across Scotland together is moving into its next phase, and starting free on-site visits. The life sciences sector is seen by the Scottish Government as a key sector for economic growth, and the Envirowise initiative provides them with on-site and workshop support to help them manage their environmental impact and be more sustainable through resource efficiency. It is focused around Dundee, West Lothian, Glasgow and West Scotland which all feature clusters of life science businesses. Envirowise will bring them together to discuss best practices, learn and develop together.
Counting the cost of resource inefficiency
Proving that even number crunchers can find ways to be more resource efficient, ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland) has joined forces with us to promote Envirowise Green Accounting. Workshops will start in the Autumn to help Scottish businesses take practical steps in accounting for resource efficiency. Make sure you keep watching the events list http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/uk/Our-Services/Events-and-workshops.html for new dates as they are scheduled.
The workshops will cover many of the aspects covered in the updated publication Reduce Your Costs with Management Accounting, which was developed with the input of a number of professional accounting bodies. Take a sneak peek inside it in our Inside Guide.
The Somerset construction industry is in the sights of the local Envirowise South West regional team, with a series of practical seminars, Understanding Site Waste Management Plans, through October, November and December arranged in association with the Chartered Institute of Building and Somerset County Council. With a packed morning of learning and thinking planned for each session, the events will be intensive and lively. They will help contractors better understand Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) and how to develop one, as well as provide great opportunities to network with others who face similar challenges. Some of the barriers to overcome might include finding the space to separate materials, getting buy-in from sub-contractors, communicating issues and identifying appropriate waste management services. Events are planned in Taunton on 6 October, Yeovil on 4 November and Bridgwater on 3 December.
Taunton - www.envirowise.gov.uk/somersetswmptaunton
Yeovil - www.envirowise.gov.uk/somersetswmpyeovil
Bridgwater - www.envirowise.gov.uk/somersetswmpbridgewater
We've also recently launched EN922 DIY Resource Efficiency Review, a free guide to help builders cut waste costs by up to 40% and help tackle the 89.6m tonnes of construction waste generated by this industry each year. The Federation of Master Builder's latest State of Trade survey shows that economic conditions for small builders in the UK continue to be very challenging. Reducing waste costs is a very straightforward way to improve the bottom line. Savings can be achieved by making simple low-cost or no-cost changes such as segregating waste at source. For example, reducing waste by 20% can cut a businesses waste disposal costs by 40% and waste to landfill by 60%. With annual landfill tax rises recently confirmed until 2013, there is clearly an imperative for businesses to take action. You can download this free guide at www.envirowise.gov.uk/EN922
We know that we must help every type of business in order to secure real change and are also producing a set of basic Environmental Information Sheets for the building trades including bricklayers, carpenters, decorators, electricians, labourers, plasterers and plumbers. They highlight what you should know about the law, information on using skips, the do's and don'ts of being a good tradesperson, and provide details of where you can find help and advice.
All members of the construction and building industry can find a wealth of further information at www.envirowise.gov.uk/construction and seek specific help by emailing construction@envirowise.gov.uk
We are fortunate in having Alistair Bromhead as our Environment Advisor for the furniture industry, and this year he has helped us to develop a great new set of Furniture Sector audiocasts which will be broadcast in four episodes. Anyone in this industry can subscribe to the series by visiting www.envirowise.gov.uk/327964. The interview-style audiocasts delve deeply into some pressing industry issues right the way through the chain from sustainable wood sourcing to wood combustibility, which has a direct impact on waste management and landfill. It helps industry members to understand issues and imperatives such as solvent reduction, wood dust management and beyond – including managing some of the pressures being brought to bear by the procurement policies and increasingly tough standards of customers.
Chemical companies will welcome the new chemical supplement to the EMS E-publications Wizard. It will help them explore some of the challenges in developing Environmental Management Systems within chemical companies, and illustrate its advantages for ISO 14001: 2004 compliance. The supplement is based on an EMS guide originally written by environmental regeneration charity Groundwork. It also includes case studies from companies like Peboc and Shasun Pharma Solutions. The Wizard can guide you to the information you need regardless of the sector you work with – Step 1 in the process can be accessed here.