Scottish retailers are being urged to make 2010 the year they embrace resource efficiency and see a boost to their bottom line as a result. According to sustainability expert Envirowise, businesses could stand to gain both financially and by way of reputation, simply by placing environmental issues at the top of their agenda.
Each year, Scotland generates a collective nine million tonnes of waste* and with disposal typically costing a company up to 4% of its turnover**, using resources efficiently and reducing waste is one of the easiest ways a business can increase its profits. Envirowise is the first port of call for those looking to adopt sustainable business practises.
Easy Money
The Envirowise Easy Money Guide is a self-help service designed to support small retailers to save money and improve their environmental performance by reducing waste. The guide offers practical information on the key areas of waste, water, energy and recycling and also gives the business reasons for waste minimisation. By visiting the Envirowise Scotland pages businesses can access free publications, information on where to obtain grants to fund improvements and information on environmental legislation affecting the retail sector.
Davina Wyper, Envirowise marketing manager for Scotland, said:
"Almost any business, no matter how large or small, has the capacity to improve its use of resources. This needn't be a costly or time consuming process with some of the simplest changes capable of saving a substantial amount of money. By reducing unnecessary waste at the outset of any product or process, less energy and raw materials will be needed at every subsequent step.
"This is also a timely issue for businesses given the Scottish Government's vision of Zero Waste for Scotland - essential to protect the Scottish environment and also to meet European waste targets. We all have a part to play, and businesses can do their bit by making a concerted effort to reduce the amount of waste they produce, whether that be making, designing or buying products that use fewer resources.
"By introducing a commitment to take action now companies can stand to see real savings."
The Scottish Government recently closed the Zero Waste consultation designed to engage with businesses on what support would be required in order to assist them to meet the forthcoming CO2 reduction targets. Envirowise supported the consultation through an event allowing delegates to feed into the consultation.
Delegates were polled on their attitudes towards a variety of waste issues and the vast majority (93%) agreed that collecting information on the type and quantity of waste generated by companies will help businesses to meet cost cutting and resource efficiency targets. The general consensus was that the Scottish Government must use delivery organisations such as Envirowise to educate and encourage Scottish companies to improve their knowledge of environmental issues.***
A Greener Future
Edinburgh-based Haggis specialists, Macsween, first worked with Envirowise in 2006. The company is committed to innovation, product quality and business excellence and the entire workforce takes its environmental responsibility extremely seriously. Since working with Envirowise, Macsween has achieved significant results whilst producing Scotland's national dish, including reducing water usage by 10% and waste to landfill by over 88%.
Company director, James Macsween, said:
Edinburgh-based Haggis specialists, Macsween, first worked with Envirowise in 2006. The company is committed to innovation, product quality and business excellence and the entire workforce takes its environmental responsibility extremely seriously. Since working with Envirowise, Macsween has achieved significant results whilst producing Scotland's national dish, including reducing water usage by 10% and waste to landfill by over 88%.
"As a responsible food manufacturer we take our impact on the environment very seriously and we place a real emphasis on sustainability in every aspect of our business. We make it a priority to continually improve our performance, going beyond minimum regulatory requirements.
"The support of our workforce is key to that success, therefore as a management team we regularly communicate our environmental goals which help us to gain buy-in from employees across all parts of the business. By sharing our vision we are able to improve our environmental performance.
"Many of the changes implemented at our factory have derived from Macsween directors and managers. However, environmental policies and procedures apply throughout the company, ensuring that everybody thinks more seriously about sustainability issues. The buy in that we have achieved means that these policies are enforced by all employees, regardless of their position within the company.
"Our environmental management procedures include robust waste segregation policies, an extensive recycling procedure and feasibility studies into the use of renewable energy technologies.
"Acting on the advice of Envirowise, we now reuse the water that desalinates the natural haggis casings. This is used to wash down the grease traps, significantly reducing our fresh water requirement. Grease traps are crucial as they prevent solid debris, fats and oil from being washed into the waste water system and blocking the sewers. By pre-treating the effluent this way, Macsween readily meets regulations for levels and concentrations of dirty water. At the same time, I'm pleased to say that our use of water has been reduced by 0.3 litres per 1lb of haggis produced.
"We're aware of the need to further reduce our impact on the environment and priorities for 2010 will see us continue to investigate the feasibility of installing a cost-effective rain water harvesting system.
"With the support from Envirowise and other advisory bodies, Macsween has increased staff awareness with posters that describe how energy can be saved and the simple things we can all do to help mitigate our effects on the environment. This support, combined with our own efforts has significantly increased levels of environmental awareness and understanding throughout the company.
"We don't see that taking action to improve our sustainability is a burden at all. Instead we think of it as positive action that is taking us closer to our vision of making the most sustainable haggis in the world."
Make 2010 a sustainable year by requesting your free onsite visit. Begin improving your businesses resource efficiency and saving money by visiting the Envirowise Scotland visits page or by calling 0800 585 794.
Notes to editors:
- * Source: SEPA, Commercial and Industrial Waste Producer Survey 2004
- ** Source: Envirowise Publication GG414
- ***Source: ACT on Waste event results, November 2009