Do small firms need more support to tackle climate change?

[Hannah_J]

Hi everyone

First off, I wanted to properly introduce myself as a new staff writer here at UKBF. You might see me jumping in to the odd discussion here and there from now on!

I'm also hoping to tap into your knowledge and experience to ask for insight to add to new articles and guides we're writing. First up is the topic of sustainability in your businesses. We thought this was pretty topical following on from the recent COP summit and would love to hear more about what businesses are doing to make their operations more sustainable.

Is this something you're paying attention to at the moment?

If so, what measures are you taking or what challenges are you coming up against? Do you have to meet certain regulations in your industry?

Or is it too much to think about amidst other challenges you're facing?

Would love to hear your thoughts...

 

[fisicx]

I don’t wash my cup each time I make a cuppa. Gets cleaned once the tannin covers the whole cup.

 

[The Supplier Central]

Sustainable stationary and delivery companies with electric vehicles! Also using bicycle couriers in London - they are faster anyway!

 

[simon field]

My business is doomed. I reckon it’ll get us through to retirement (10-12 years) but that’ll be it.

We are GRP moulders, and let me tell you - our environmental-friendliness is non existent!

Raw material prices have roughly doubled and there’s no end in sight. China, Taiwan, India , Korea, Indonesia etc etc are busy supplementing their own markets mainly for wind turbine blades, and restricting supply to the rest of the world. Our chemicals (crude oil derived) are really nasty too. We make a massive mess!

To recycle anything we make would create more co2 than it would save!

 

[fisicx]

Our chemicals are really nasty too.

But they smell so good.

 

[simon field]

But they smell so good.

Want a job Graham? Free heat, light, and you can bring your manky tea cup.

 

[fisicx]

Want a job Graham? Free heat, light, and you can bring your manky tea cup.

Only if I can wear a Walter White chemical suit

 

[SillyBill]

My business also heavily uses crude derivatives, albeit petrochemicals encompasses far more than the green lobby, cognitively dissonant as they are, could appreciate.

FWIW we are doing the window dressing which lets face it is so much of the green movement as it stands (even the lauded electric car can serve as an example of that), the two elephants in the room for the greenies to be taken seriously are namely population (which given most ardent environmentalists are lefties/commies and borderphobes they can't actually even bring themselves to even mention it) and capitalism itself. Just taking the latter, given this is a business forum, then if we're serious about doing our bit for the environment then we ought to start with the total dismantling of capitalism, using less resources full stop is required. It starts with the Western consumer shunning consumerism. Probably this bit of Greta's speech doesn't make it onto the BBC. So basically all businesses (and there are a lot) which import stuff from China and the likes should fulfil their environmental duty and fold themselves optionally. Forget the claptrap of how green the manufacturer is, buying a new TV because 4k isn't as good as 8k or a new phone because it is shinier or a new whatever...is simply not green.

We'll do our "bit", whatever that amounts to for the environment... invest in a heat pump, finish installing LED lights across the whole site, solar panels on the roof, electric car charging points in the car park etc. Beyond that I am not sure how eco friendly any business in the business of making money is.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

We run new Euro 6 Peugeot Boxer vans
I have a poster of Greta Thunburg on the wall

 

[UKSBD]

I put my UKBF fleece on rather than switching the heating up.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I put my UKBF fleece on rather than switching the heating up.

As seen on the BBC news !

 

[japancool]

I make sure all my products are dolphin-friendly.

 

[14Steve14]

We are a small online retail business. We are trying to buy recycled or partially recycled packaging products, but price is a concern. We use recycled paper and address labels so are trying to do our bit in any small way that we can. We have also started ordering in larger volumes to save packaging and delivery emissions but I doubt it makes that much difference as the delivery vans are in the area every day anyway. We do however have a page on our website explaining what we are trying to do, and why, that does get a few clicks a month.

We do try to recycle or reuse many of the materials that our incoming orders are packaged in but the plastic is the big concern and no real way to dispose of it around here, apart from landfill. Some we can get taken to local supermarkets, but not all. We have also noticed that some suppliers are getting rid of their non recyclable materials by using then as package void fill. We have had all sorts of pallet wrap and polystyrene products just shoved in boxes. We contacted one supplier and asked how we can return their rubbish to them and never got a reply.

We are trying in any small way that we can but there is not much left to change.

 

[Mr D]

I'm usually running 3 mobile phones, a house phone, two or three laptops and often enough got a couple of tablets that need charging. All needing power. That's between two of us.
Heating will be switched off next year, probably May or June sometime. Used at night then unless there's a heatwave. House never gets cold.

Business wise we reuse boxes we have received, sometimes cutting them down to fit and using cutoffs as packaging. We take the car to the post office a hundred meters away - sometimes the postmistress is having a problem and have to drive to next village to drop off postal sacks. Time and energy, a 20 minute walk with postal sacks in one hand isn't ideal.

Most of our stuff comes from the far east. A few items are on recycled or tree friendly material. We prefer glass to plastic for certain products though ultimately most of what we sell won't be recycled by people.

 

[Hannah_J]

We are a small online retail business. We are trying to buy recycled or partially recycled packaging products, but price is a concern. We use recycled paper and address labels so are trying to do our bit in any small way that we can. We have also started ordering in larger volumes to save packaging and delivery emissions but I doubt it makes that much difference as the delivery vans are in the area every day anyway. We do however have a page on our website explaining what we are trying to do, and why, that does get a few clicks a month.

We do try to recycle or reuse many of the materials that our incoming orders are packaged in but the plastic is the big concern and no real way to dispose of it around here, apart from landfill. Some we can get taken to local supermarkets, but not all. We have also noticed that some suppliers are getting rid of their non recyclable materials by using then as package void fill. We have had all sorts of pallet wrap and polystyrene products just shoved in boxes. We contacted one supplier and asked how we can return their rubbish to them and never got a reply.

We are trying in any small way that we can but there is not much left to change.

Thanks for your reply, it sounds like you've thought about this a lot - having a sustainability statement on your website is a good way to communicate what you're doing with your customers too.

It's interesting to hear how hard it is for businesses to reduce their packaging. This is something I always moan about as a consumer, but it sounds like there's no clear direction to help you reduce waste at your end.

Do you think it would help you if there were government guidelines or schemes to help you solve some of these problems?

 

[Hannah_J]

We run new Euro 6 Peugeot Boxer vans

Did you choose these specifically for environmental reasons?

 

[fisicx]

It's quite easy to reduce packaging. The problem is the retailers (and this includes Amazon), they want boxes and blister packs because it's easier for them to restock.

In Germany they have recycling containers in the supermarkets where you can dispose of unwanted packaging (like toothpaste boxes). The produces have to pay for this facility and as a result the amount of packaging has been reducing steadily. They charge a deposit on all plastic bottles which you get back when you return to the supermarket. It's not a perfect system but it's pretty good.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Did you choose these specifically for environmental reasons?

No sadly I am one of the dinosaurs that would prefer to run older engines
It is a question of economics and the vans being in London all the time

 

[japancool]

We do try to recycle or reuse many of the materials that our incoming orders are packaged in

I do that too, but it's because I'm a tightwad.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Whilst we aren't a heavy offender industry, we are still absurdly reliant on physical paperwork - big packs of printed documents being delivered from A to B to C.

There are several reasons why this should end.

Meanwhile, my merchandise supplier has sent me a Christmas gift of environmental goodies, together with a stonking great catalogue which will go directly into the recycling bin.

 

[14Steve14]

I do that too, but it's because I'm a tightwad.

I do that too, but it's because I'm a tightwad.

That could also be another reason especially if it saves a few quid.

 

[14Steve14]

Thanks for your reply, it sounds like you've thought about this a lot - having a sustainability statement on your website is a good way to communicate what you're doing with your customers too.

It's interesting to hear how hard it is for businesses to reduce their packaging. This is something I always moan about as a consumer, but it sounds like there's no clear direction to help you reduce waste at your end.

Do you think it would help you if there were government guidelines or schemes to help you solve some of these problems?

We do what we can. We cut down boxes to save on void fill. Our local council takes hard type plastics, but refuse to take lets say flexible plastic type bags. We do take some to the supermarkets that collect this type of plastics but their collection boxes can get filled up quickly if we take everything we have.

Not too sure government needs to step in as they will always mess things up, or make things over complicated, but maybe local councils could do more.

 

[alan1302]

We do what we can. We cut down boxes to save on void fill. Our local council takes hard type plastics, but refuse to take lets say flexible plastic type bags. We do take some to the supermarkets that collect this type of plastics but their collection boxes can get filled up quickly if we take everything we have.

Not too sure government needs to step in as they will always mess things up, or make things over complicated, but maybe local councils could do more.

Would be good if all local councils recycled the same things rather than each council doing its own thing.

 

[bodgitt&scarperLTD]

I make sure all my products are dolphin-friendly.

That's ironic given your username

 

[Deleted member 59730]

I always tried to be as aware as possible of waste and the environmental impact of my products. I did find it an uphill struggle dealing with so-called experts on waste management at the local Council. The level of ignorance they showed was breathtaking.

 

[Gettingthereslowly]

Have to say we went through a big exercise 7 yrs ago with our local authority doing an audit on energy/waste etc. It was quiet enlightenting, I was a bit sceptical, but it was grant funded/free advice = 46 page report.......and the advisors were really into their job/genuniely wanted to help.

The report was lots of waffle, but I did work my way through the whole list over a 2 yr period (completed over 5 yrs ago now):

Replace fluro lighting to LED
Replace old heating system
Fit 200 solar panels to roof
Seperate waste bins for recycling & landfill
Energy Policy (what to switch on/off and when....and who is personally responsible)
Replace Works vehicle for more effcient
Replace server for more efficient model

We were paying over £1k per month in electricity costs.......after the scheme this reduced to £450 pcm......so well worth doing.

The Solar panels cost a big whack, but the installers were confident that it would pay back after 5.5 years, again I was scpetical, but here we are now five years on.....the income generated from the panels have just paid for their installation, with no maintenance/breakdown.

However..........the recent spike in energy prices have pushed my electricty costs up to £1100pcm.........so I feel as though I'm back to where I started from, but know that there is not much more I can do to reduce my consumption, having picked all the low hanging fruit.

Big consolation is I'd probably be paying around £2k pcm if I hadn't done all the sustainable improvements.

Sorry for the long ramble...(been a hard day)..... I guess I wanted to say:

- Every business can make changes
- Outside intervention (energy assessors/advisors) are great if you can tap into a local scheme
- there are some grant schemes available to help you make equipment changes, but you'll have to hunt for them, and be willing to contribute financially yourself

 

[cjd]

We won a award for sustainable operations when we started out 15 years ago. We all worked from home (radical!) and sold technology so others could too.

Data Centres use a lot of power though. We've been developing software that will cut our power by a factor of 15, but I can't claim we're doing it for sustainability reasons - it's just economic sense.

The best driver of sustainability is to make the changes economic either because the new technologies are cheaper or by regulating costs upwards. Self-interest works.

 

[Mr D]

I do that too, but it's because I'm a tightwad.

Or perhaps simply good with money....

 

[Mr D]

Have to say we went through a big exercise 7 yrs ago with our local authority doing an audit on energy/waste etc. It was quiet enlightenting, I was a bit sceptical, but it was grant funded/free advice = 46 page report.......and the advisors were really into their job/genuniely wanted to help.

The report was lots of waffle, but I did work my way through the whole list over a 2 yr period (completed over 5 yrs ago now):

Replace fluro lighting to LED
Replace old heating system
Fit 200 solar panels to roof
Seperate waste bins for recycling & landfill
Energy Policy (what to switch on/off and when....and who is personally responsible)
Replace Works vehicle for more effcient
Replace server for more efficient model

We were paying over £1k per month in electricity costs.......after the scheme this reduced to £450 pcm......so well worth doing.

The Solar panels cost a big whack, but the installers were confident that it would pay back after 5.5 years, again I was scpetical, but here we are now five years on.....the income generated from the panels have just paid for their installation, with no maintenance/breakdown.

However..........the recent spike in energy prices have pushed my electricty costs up to £1100pcm.........so I feel as though I'm back to where I started from, but know that there is not much more I can do to reduce my consumption, having picked all the low hanging fruit.

Big consolation is I'd probably be paying around £2k pcm if I hadn't done all the sustainable improvements.

Sorry for the long ramble...(been a hard day)..... I guess I wanted to say:

- Every business can make changes
- Outside intervention (energy assessors/advisors) are great if you can tap into a local scheme
- there are some grant schemes available to help you make equipment changes, but you'll have to hunt for them, and be willing to contribute financially yourself

Sounds good.
And as you say overall you are saving compared to what would be spending now.

At home I accessed state funding for a new boiler several years ago. Went from a back boiler over 20 years old and hard to repair to a new combi boiler. For free.
My bills now are less than half for gas than they were 7 years ago. Despite the increase in prices since.
Now if I can just take the gas bill below 20% of my wages.....

 

[SillyBill]

Painful to see a good boiler or ICE car scrapped before its time. Terrible thing for the environment for the most part. I think we need to more strongly educate people about this, sums and all. Often it is better to run what you have into the ground before replacement to a more sustainable model. Otherwise you're arguable making things worse.

 

[Talay]

I refuse to pay paper invoices.

 

[MBE2017]

Further to Gettingthereslowly post 26# above, there are still grants around I believe to allow companies to update lighting, LED lighting tends to save 20/80% depending on your current lighting scheme, soft starts to reduce your peak load when all machines get turned on at the same time in the morning, this max figure is what many companies get billed for throughout the day, and so on.

Many companies guarantee minimum savings, so why not at least inquire, fuel costs are going to keep increasing.

 

[SillyBill]

A lot of this stuff I'd have thought most businesses would have done already so its hardly worth even talking about. As soon as it made economic sense to get rid of fluorescent lights for LED, we did. We've always recycled cardboard boxes and packaging material into us...why? Because it is free packaging material to reduce our costs. We reduced our landfill waste when we reviewed the cost of lifting a 10CY recycling bin was a fraction of that of a 10CY general waste bin (so waste streams were organised a lot more from then on). We re-work the vast majority of failed product into other products where possible. When we worked out we had 2 filing systems for finance system, electronic and paper, we knocked the paper on the head. We have timers to turn things on (such as FLT charging) at night time to reduce our peak load/draw cheaper energy tariff. None of this was driven by a compulsion to put the environment before commerce, it was driven by what improved our bottom line. If a air source heat pump did the same we'd buy one tomorrow. At the moment it is an expensive gimmick though. All for green if it saves the business money. And if we're buying new plant and equipment of course we will look at most efficient model to run too, why wouldn't we? Is there something I am missing or is just plain common sense to do most of these things.

 

[simon field]

A lot of this stuff I'd have thought most businesses would have done already so its hardly worth even talking about. As soon as it made economic sense to get rid of fluorescent lights for LED, we did. We've always recycled cardboard boxes and packaging material into us...why? Because it is free packaging material to reduce our costs. We reduced our landfill waste when we reviewed the cost of lifting a 10CY recycling bin was a fraction of that of a 10CY general waste bin (so waste streams were organised a lot more from then on). We re-work the vast majority of failed product into other products where possible. When we worked out we had 2 filing systems for finance system, electronic and paper, we knocked the paper on the head. We have timers to turn things on (such as FLT charging) at night time to reduce our peak load/draw cheaper energy tariff. None of this was driven by a compulsion to put the environment before commerce, it was driven by what improved our bottom line. If a air source heat pump did the same we'd buy one tomorrow. At the moment it is an expensive gimmick though. All for green if it saves the business money. And if we're buying new plant and equipment of course we will look at most efficient model to run too, why wouldn't we? Is there something I am missing or is just plain common sense to do most of these things.

Just out of interest - how hve you found led lighting?
We’ve tried various types but they all seem awful as work lights. We need to see the finish on racing car body panels for instance..

 

[Deleted member 59730]

Just out of interest - how hve you found led lighting?

Just run out of my bulk purchase of tungsten bulbs. Had to buy some new ones for home. They all seem to be no brighter than just a bit below 60w. Oh for the days of 100w bulbs I could read by without eyestrain. The alternative seems to use 2 bulbs in 2 light fittings to get the same level of comfort. Which is extra cost.

The new bulbs cost an arm and a leg too.

 

[Hannah_J]

It's great to hear all your responses to this topic - thanks for all your replies. Sounds like lots of small businesses are making a big effort to research what they can do and implement changes.

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the article we wrote on this subject - have a read and let us know what you think:

Do small firms need more support to tackle climate change?

The COP26 climate summit may be over, but for many, the real work of reducing carbon emissions is just beginning. What support do small businesses need to play their part? The government recently announced that over half of FTSE100 companies...

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