Protecting the environment

Protecting the environment

T

rading standards have an important role to play in the protection of the

environment and the climate change agenda. Local authorities have been

set priorities by the Department of Communities and Local Government on emissions and waste, with six National Indicators from C02

reduction

to household waste. To meet carbon reduction and other eco-targets before 2020, we need enhanced monitoring of all trading activity. The trading standards remit is

ever-widening. The responsibility for measuring and weighing everything from the pint in your hand to the fuel in your car is expanding as trading standards continue to bring their skills to new regulations and products. Trading standards contribute to the environmental agenda in a

number of ways: n Packaging legislation is used to minimise the creation of packaging waste material and to promote energy recovery, re- use and recycling of materials, and to stop the use of harmful

chemicals being used. The legislative framework is used to help business minimise the quantities of packaging used.

n Trading standards work alongside retailers to ensure products have energy labelling so that the power consumption of one make and model can be compared with that of another. This enables the consumer to make more informed decisions based on minimising damage to the environment.

n Trading standards monitor claims about the environmental credentials of a product or service. Terms such as ‘environmentally friendly’ and ‘carbon neutral’ can often give business a commercial advantage but are often too vague for consumers to

make comparisons with other products.

n Trading standards can issue fixed penalty notices for non- compliance with the obligation for all homes being built or sold to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Display Energy Certificates (DEC) are required for larger public buildings, enabling everyone to see how energy efficient public buildings are. Trading standards are responsible for ensuring that the DEC is displayed at all times in a prominent place clearly visible to the public.

Lincolnshire County Council launched a major drive to promote the benefits of reducing unnecessary packaging. Working with partners in order to achieve Lincolnshire’s new Sustainable Communities Strategy, a dedicated team advised and guided businesses on their legal responsibilities, assisting them in reducing costs and helping to limit the impact on the environment. As a result of this work, one company changed a large plastic outer carton to a much smaller recyclable cardboard box, reducing packaging costs by 20 per cent and also reducing waste.

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