With World Environment Day taking place on 5 June, Envirowise is reminding businesses to sit up and take notice of environmental issues, and act as a result.
The day aims to bring people from all over the world together in the fight for sustainability. Companies in the UK can take advantage of free advice and online tools supplied by Envirowise to improve resource efficiency.
From a business perspective, getting the buy-in and support of every staff member is crucial to making a large-scale impact on the reduction of environmental damage. Only with this concerted effort can the best economic and environmental benefits be realised.
To help businesses address sustainability issues and understand how to most effectively win the support of staff, Envirowise has launched an online resource, 'Words to the Wise'. This provides advice on how to develop a plan of action to help embed sustainability within an organisation and improve environmental performance. The tool can be found at the Envirowise Behaviour Change page.
'Words to the Wise' offers a range of practical measures that businesses can undertake to get started. All of the following can help to reduce environmental impact and cut back on unnecessary overheads:
- Ensure that all photocopying and publications are produced in double sided format on recycled paper
- Cancel junk mail and unwanted publications to reduce the amount of waste that has to be thrown away
- Consider setting aside one business printer for draft documents only – and load it with scrap paper
- Use electronic material where possible to reduce printing and faxing
- Ensure fax machines are set so they do not produce unwanted header or report sheets
- Post notices on the walls to remind staff to switch off lights, printers, faxes and other office equipment, when not in use
- Save energy by ensuring monitors are not left on overnight
- Place paper recycling bins in all offices. A good guide is one bin between six staff and one next to each photocopier and printer
- Choose minimally packaged products or ask your suppliers to supply products in less packaging
- Ask suppliers to take excess packaging away with them when they deliver.
Issued on behalf of Envirowise by The Mistral Group. For more information contact, Alison Hill on 01869 352 722 or Lucinda Roberts on 01869 352 729
About Envirowise
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. Services include:
- The Envirowise Advice line on 0800 585794
- An encyclopaedic website of valuable and relevant information
- Over 200 events each year, from Product Design Workshops to major exhibitions