February 29 comes but once every four years. Sustainable business expert Envirowise is urging Britain's 4.3 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to profit from this extra working day by looking at ways to reduce their environmental impact and gain long-term financial savings in the process.
Envirowise data shows that 79% of SMEs regard environmental issues to be important to their business, but a third are yet to take any action at all. Among the more common obstacles quoted were a lack of time and not knowing where to start to introduce leaner, more environmentally sustainable practices.
With a single day, says Envirowise, many businesses could pull together their bills for key materials and utilities and get help from Envirowise to assess where they can save money and how to get started. Alternatively, in just a few hours, a small business could write a new environmental policy which could be the starting point for a structured approach to managing its environmental issues and would allow it to demonstrate its sustainable credentials to customers and competitors.
Dr Martin Gibson, Envirowise programme director, comments: "There are many simple steps that can be taken by businesses to start the ball rolling. By using the time available efficiently, businesses can start taking advantage of cost savings and an enhanced reputation."
Suggestions from Envirowise for companies looking to take action which can have an immediate impact include:
- Nominate a champion who takes up the environmental challenge and encourages all staff members to adopt more sustainable working practices.
- Begin a review of suppliers you work with, to ensure they have their own robust environmental policies.
- Begin writing an environmental policy which could be the starting point for a structured approach to managing your environmental issues.
- Contact your landlord and ask about water 'hippos'. Placing these in each toilet cistern saves water with each flush.
- Contact your suppliers and ask them to look at reducing their packaging so you have less to dispose of.
- If you are office-based, order a copy of the Envirowise 'Green Officiency' toolkit and start to work through its four-stage programme to a more resource efficient workplace.
Envirowise offers free advice to all companies throughout the UK to help them understand effective resource management and how to take action accordingly. For more information about this, visit the Envirowise website or call free-phone on 0800 585794.
Issued on behalf of Envirowise by the Mistral Group.
About Envirowise
Envirowise is a government-funded programme dedicated to putting the sustainable use of resources at the heart of UK business practice.
Since 1994 Envirowise has helped UK businesses save over £1 billion by enabling them to significantly reduce their environmental impact.
Envirowise offers businesses of all sizes and sectors a wide range of free, independent and practical advice designed to genuinely improve their processes, profitability and competitiveness.