Make your business energy efficient

Sasha Nathansan, head of PNRP Green, shows you how to make your business more energy efficient and less wasteful - and generate some good clean ‘green’ publicity.

Be cool

Save energy and money. Fuel and utility bills are dramatically increasing as resources become more scarce and precious. Turning down the thermostat by just one degree could save you eight per cent off your heating bill and reduce your carbon footprint.

Switch to a green energy supplier and reduce your CO2 emissions by about a third. The cleanest sources of electricity are generated from wind, sun and running water. Energy generated in this way is renewable and won't run out like fossil fuels, pollute the environment, or contribute to climate change.

Be bright

Use energy-saving light bulbs. They use up to 80 per cent less electricity than a standard bulb, but produce the same amount of light. They last up to 12 times longer and just one can save you £100 over its lifetime.

Measure your carbon footprint

Last year The Carbon Trust found that only one per cent of UK businesses have measured their carbon footprint. If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it. Investing in an audit can show you where there may be savings to be made and prove that being green is good for the environment and your pocket.

Turn it off and ban 'standby'

Businesses are spending £6bn a year on energy, and £1bn of that is wasted, estimates The Carbon Trust. A new report shows 85 per cent of UK workers willing to cut their energy use at work to help the environment.

Draw up an environmental policy

If you want to be considered for any public sector contract no matter how small, your company must conform to basic standards in the supply of its goods and services - with an Environmental Policy as one of those requirements.

This includes ensuring your procurement process is as conducive as possible to best environmental practice. Customers want to see that the businesses they work with, or buy from, have considered their environmental impact all the way up the supply chain.

Green cleaning is cleaner

Most conventional cleaning products are petroleum-based and have dubious health and environmental implications. Opt for environmentally friendly cleaning materials – they’re healthier for staff in the immediate office environment, and for the planet too. There are now eco friendly office and commercial cleaning companies.

Recycle

With landfill taxes set to rise significantly, waste is a major issue. Surrey businesses are responsible for producing 1 million tonnes of waste per year, around half of which could be recycled.

Recycling one tonne of aluminium saves seven tonnes of CO2. That's equivalent to driving 19,600 miles. Supply separate bins in offices, canteens and kitchens to enable sorting and recycling of paper, glass, plastic, and cans.

Using a commercial waste recycling service will reduce waste being sent to landfill and benefit your pocket. A good recycling service provider will help you to recycle everything from paper and plastic to glass, batteries and light bulbs. Call your local council to find out what service they offer.

Use green stationery

The typical office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of paper a year - that's an eighth of a tree. Use a local supplier of recycled paper. Producing one tonne of recycled paper instead of paper from virgin fibres saves enough electricity to power an average three bedroom house for a whole year.

Set up a Green Team

Nearly eight out of 10 employees would rather work for an ethical and reputable company than receive a higher salary, according to the Small Business Consortium. To inspire change within the office and make green practice a habit, staff need to be involved to change the culture of the company.

All these small steps add up to a cleaner, greener business and some powerful positive publicity.

PNPR is an established PR agency based in Guildford. Now in its tenth year, the company has seven members, who between them have more than 100 years experience in communications.

Sasha Nathanson is heading up PNPR GREEN, a new specialist service designed to advise and guide clients on how to reduce their carbon footprint and maximise the PR from their Green activities.

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By Sasha Nathansan  on   Jul 11,2008

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Keywords

green business    energy efficiency    carbon footprint    recycling    save money   

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