Glasgow Business . 35 www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com


Recent collaborations, designed to raise the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce is currently working towards a vision to make Glasgow a circular hotspot and


the leading circular city in the UK through a range of pioneering work. Together with Circle Economy Netherlands, Zero Waste Scotland and Glasgow City Council, the Chamber has now completed a ‘city centre scan’ (only the second to have been carried out globally) with the aim of identifying circular economy business opportunities within the city (see page 22).


profile of the work of the Green Business Network, including our circular economy work, are: • A joint information event with the Scotish Institute for Remanufacture in December to celebrate, network and share our future plans for the Network


• Support of the Glasgow launch of the Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (VIBES) Awards in April to promote the awards scheme, and encourage our members to enter


• Glasgow Chamber shared a stand with Invest Glasgow, Glasgow City Council’s inward investment team, at the All-Energy Conference at the SECC, which enabled the Chamber to both promote the Green Business Network and showcase our


pioneering work in the circular economy. Alison McRae said there are more initiatives


in the pipeline: “Te Green Business Network, alongside supporting the wider work that the Chamber is doing on the circular economy in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland and Glasgow City Council, will be scheduling regular events for members due to start at the end of the summer, including Green Leader Talks, and more details will be shared on this shortly. “We look forward to many more of our


members geting involved in and seeing the benefits of this pioneering work.” For more information about the Green


Business Network, email Cheryl McCulloch, Projects Manager at cheryl.mcculloch@ glasgowchamberofcommerce.com


THE REAL BENEFITS OF “GOING GREEN”


Here are a number of ways that going green can make an impact on both the financial and reputational health of an organisation. Lighting: LED lamps are much more efficient than traditional bulbs and last longer. They also produce less heat, so reducing the amount of cooling needed. Ensure staff turn off lights at the end of the day and consider using motion sensor lights in stairways and corridors. Heating/Cooling: Get your heating system checked regularly for efficiency and ensure thermostats are set at the right temperature in your premises.


Hardware: Ensure all computers, printers and other devices are switched off when not required. Waste reduction and recycling: Use printers that can print both sides and reuse any spare paper; buy recyclable office products and use recycling bins. Company vehicles: Encourage staff to walk, cycle or use public transport. Consider if your company fleet could be more environmentally friendly by using electric vehicles. Public relations/marketing: Use your green credentials in marketing campaigns to attract environmentally conscious


customers to your brand or products. Employee morale: A 2012 UCLA- led study found that companies that adopt “green” practices have employees who are 16 per cent more productive than the average and will attract more motivated employees. And a healthy workplace has shown to reduce absenteeism and sickness leave. Rebecca Jones from


Changeworks Recycling said that the more an organisation can separate waste into distinct categories the greater the potential for meaningful recycling. Changeworks Recycling is a waste


and resource management company that works with businesses to reduce waste, carbon and costs. She said: “Unlike many


of our competitors who use a drymixed recycling service – one general bin for recycling and another for waste – we work with our customers to separate out materials into individual waste streams. This not only gives our customers a better idea of where they are generating waste and how to reduce it, but it also gives us a much higher quality recyclate that can be more efficiently recycled compared to mixed materials.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52