IN ASSOCIATION WITH
delivery yards, even housing estates and business parks. take extra precautions if you handle or store oil and chemicals,
You must not discharge run-off from your site to public sewers, including fertilisers and pesticides to avoid spills and leaks.
surface waters or groundwater without consulting the regulator, and For more details on SuDS, how they work, and what you
you must not use SuDS to treat sewage, heavily contaminated run-off need to do, see netRegs.gov.uk at http://www.netregs.gov.uk/
or trade effluent. netregs/102009.aspx
NeW ruleS ON NITrOgeN ferTIlISer
tough new rules for nitrate vulnerable zones (nVZs) came into records for at least five years. they are also required to carry out a
force this year in an effort to tackle high levels of harmful nitrates in field inspection to assess the risk of run-off to watercourses.
uK rivers. there are specified ‘closed periods’ when organic manure and
almost 70% of england is now in an nVZ, an area that drains manufactured nitrogen fertilisers cannot be applied, and minimum
into waters that are polluted or at risk of nitrate pollution, mainly storage capacities for manures and slurry.
from agriculture. Detailed guidance on where, when and how much fertiliser
Farmers with land in an nVZ must comply with the new rules to can be applied is available on netRegs.gov.uk, where you can also
ensure that they do not spread excess nitrates which can cause find useful links to Defra in england and Wales, and the Scottish
harm to aquatic plants and animals, though some rules will be Government in Scotland.
phased in. Scotland: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/businesses/
the regulations limit the amount of organic manure or agriculture/61885.aspx
manufactured nitrogen fertiliser farmers can put on their crops. england and Wales: http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/
Farmers must prepare detailed plans for fertiliser use and keep businesses/agriculture/61887.aspx
greeN OffICe SPACe
netRegs.gov.uk top tips on how to improve the environmental is too warm, turn down the heating
performance of your office. n Minimise air-conditioning by using mechanical, e.g. fans, or
What are the potential environmental impacts? natural ventilation. air-conditioned buildings use about twice as
offices can have a number of impacts on the environment: much energy as naturally ventilated buildings
n air emissions, e.g. from boilers and heating systems n Reduce the temperature of stored water. However, you must
n noise pollution, e.g. from car parks or site maintenance work keep the temperature above 60°C to prevent legionnaire’s
n waste disposal, such as waste computers, printers or paper disease
n water discharges, e.g. from sinks or washrooms. n Regularly service your boiler and check your system for
How can addressing my environmental performance help me? any leaks.
n avoid prosecution and receive fewer visits from environmental Office equipment
regulators n Switch equipment off when it is not in use, e.g. turn computer
n increase efficiency and productivity monitors off at lunchtime
n reduce your operating costs n Do not leave computers, lights, copiers, printers, vending
n be more likely to obtain business from government bodies machines or water coolers on overnight. leaving a photocopier
and large businesses that require their business partners to on overnight uses enough energy to print over 5,000 a4 copies
manage their environmental impacts effectively n Share printers wherever possible. this prevents printers
n increase the chance of securing funding to expand your standing idle and will also reduce your maintenance costs
business by demonstrating that your environmental impacts n avoid leaving equipment on ‘stand-by’ mode. this wastes energy,
are well managed. which would be saved if you switch the device off
n ‘Screensavers’ don’t save energy, they only protect the screen
energy efficiency tips More advanced screensavers can use more energy than
by making small changes to your day-to-day activities, you can make an idle computer would. turn your monitor off instead of using
large savings on your energy bills. screensavers.
Heating and cooling lighting
n if you reduce the temperature in your buildings by 1°C you can n Switch off lights when they are not needed
cut your heating bills by 10% n label light switches to clearly identify the lights they control
n Check that thermostats are positioned and set correctly, e.g. n Clean light fittings regularly. this will increase the brightness of
between 16 and 19°C. Fit tamper-proof thermostats if necessary your lighting and could mean you need to turn on fewer lights
n Set thermostats, timers and radiator valves correctly and ensure n Maximise natural lighting by ensuring windows are clean and
that radiators are not obstructed window ledges are not cluttered. Make sure you plan your office
n turn off or reduce heating outside working hours. Reduce the layout to make the best use of natural and artificial lighting
heat in areas that need less heat, such as store rooms. turn off n install modern slimline fluorescent tubes or energy efficient light
the heating and close the doors in unused rooms bulbs. if double fluorescent tubes have been fitted, check whether
n Do not have cooling and heating systems on at the same time. if it you can replace them with a single tube.
SuStainable SolutionS april 2009 17
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