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Eco-purchasing power: The easier way to a better business
by Biba Hartigan 2008
More than three quarters of the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) see environmental issues as important to their business, but a third have yet to take any action according to a recent survey conducted by Envirowise. Seemingly many businesses feel they don't have the time and just don't know where to start.
But going green doesn't have to be time consuming. In fact you can get others to do a lot of the work for you. Does it require any more effort to print on recycled paper, to drink fair trade coffee or use renewable energy? Simply by thinking green when it comes to sourcing products or services businesses can use their eco-purchasing power to improve environmental performance, reinforcing their corporate social responsibility credentials and supporting the development of better environmental standards among suppliers.
Where to start? With the easy bits of course. Just by signing up to a 100% renewable energy supplier (visit ukpower.co.uk for comparisons) you can wipe out your business's carbon impact from mains electricity. It's as simple as that. At the same time, you'll be assisting the development of further renewable energy supplies. See Cut your carbon for further information on reducing carbon emissions.
Next all you need is to produce some guidelines or policy statements to keep your advertising/PR agency, stationery supplier, printer, events management, delivery or taxi company in line with your newly adopted codes of social responsibility. If they are unable to come up to the mark, maybe it's time to look elsewhere and encourage environmental performance in the supply chain.
Request that your advertising agency source materials with the lowest possible environmental impact and specify that reusable advertisements and banners be printed on materials other than PVC due to its toxicity to health and the environment. Spurn energy wasting illuminated and rolling advertisements and avoid direct marketing which creates unnecessary waste.
Specify recycled for stationery supplies, you'll be surprised at the range and quality available. When commissioning print, demand recycled paper, waterless printing and vegetable inks, for further detail see Brownie points for green printing. If you are not commissioning print directly but are using an agency, you'll need to brief them instead. For events specify low energy presentations and displays. Follow LOAF principles for catering (Local Seasonal, Organic, Animal Friendly and Fair Trade). Avoid waste by banning disposables and bottled water and save paper by providing conference or seminar notes online. For more information on green events see Be the host with the least.
Don't forget less obvious services like cleaning. Request that they use energy efficient appliances and eco-cleaning products and ban air fresheners for improved air quality and to protect cleaners' health.
For deliveries, demand that couriers default to push bike within agreed postcodes or distances. Look for a company that uses motorbikes (preferably electric) and small vehicles with low fuel consumption and emissions. For the full picture see Delivering on climate change.
Top Tips
- Energy - sign up to a 100% renewable energy supplier
- Print - specify recycled paper, vegetable based inks and waterless printing
- Catering - specify local seasonal, organic, animal friendly and fair trade
- Cleaners - demand energy efficient appliances and eco-cleaning products
- Deliveries - save energy with pedal power, request the smallest possible fuel efficient vehicle elsewhere
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