Many companies throughout the UK understand the real business benefits that can be gained by reducing resource use. Here are just two: 

Harpers Home Mix – in the animal feed sector with 27 employees, based in the South West. Established 10 years ago in North Devon, they produce up to 80,000 tonnes of high quality animal feed per year with a turnover of £1.5 million. They carried out an energy audit, investigated costs and benefits of entering a sector Climate Change Agreement, introduced electrical and thermal efficiency options and delivered BS 8555 training for staff. 

The Results:  They improved operational capacity by an estimated 10% through energy efficiency measures, identified energy savings worth £30,000 per annum, reduced CO2 related costs by £15,000 through entry into a Climate Change Agreement and profits increased by 20% through improved process efficiency. They are also thinking of installing an energy recovery system using waste products and looking at the potential for manufacturing bio-fuels for transport, whilst using the by-products as a animal feed additive.

Torrington Stone – an aggregate company operating a quarry near Bideford since 1985.  They supply crushed, screened and natural stone in North Devon for domestic, agricultural and industrial use. They identified current regulations, carried out a survey into reducing impact of noise on the local community, drew up proposals to make their site more wildlife-friendly and received environmental training, enabling staff to understand environmental issues.

The Results:  £1,500 a year saved on diesel fuel costs after replacing diesel power with electric,  CO2 emissions and fossil fuel use reduced, the working life of the quarry was extended by recovering waste stone from the site into usable products through use of modern screening machinery and the noise pollution was reduced and wildlife actively encouraged onto the site.  They are also looking to explore a new business opportunity of crushing and storing recycled glass at the site and working towards national environmental standards to reduce costs further and tap into new “green” markets.

• Consumers say that a company’s performance in addressing environmental problems affects not only how much they trust the company but also whether they would buy its products. 
• Source:  The McKinsey Quarterly – March 2008Concern for the environment came top in a survey of the British public who were asked which things companies should pay most attention to over the next five years.
• Source: Ipsos MORI - August 200784% of people say it is important that their employer is responsible to society and the environment.
• Source: Ipsos MORI – September 2007Business is key to carbon reduction as it generates 40% of the UK’s CO2 emissions
• Source: The Carbon Trust