Business News President’s Focus
In this month’s President’s Focus, Katie Hale introduces the Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce’s new sustainability pledge. She looks at small changes businesses in the Royal Town can implement in their day-to-day operations to become more efficient, reduce waste, boost productivity and improve their bottom line.
The smallest changes can make the biggest difference. That’s a message the Sutton
Coldfield Chamber of Commerce will be looking to drive home to businesses in the coming months as we launch our ‘Sustainability Pledge’. As a Chamber, we will be
encouraging businesses to make one change in order to achieve a more sustainable Sutton Coldfield – and this may even improve their bottom line. The benefits are two-fold. The
most obvious, of course, is taking responsibility for the environment by better monitoring our waste and cutting our use of certain materials. Coffee companies have perhaps
been the most prominent in the headlines due to the alarming statistic that seven million disposable cups are used in Britain every day. “It’s just one cup,” is a common
response from consumers – but imagine the consequences if 66 million people adopted that attitude. In that respect, it is good to see
some prominent Birmingham businesses leading from the front. The Boston Tea Party chain has
pulled the plug on single-use plastic cups and Selfridges have done the same with single use water bottles. Local examples in Sutton include Costa offering to recycle any disposable cups in their waste bins. But, aside from our
environmental duties, have you ever considered the impact on your company’s finances? Even as a small business, there
are big savings to be made by being more conscious about what you buy, what you waste and adopting the simplest cost- effective measures. Is this feasible for all size
businesses? Where do we start? We’ve pulled together ten simple, yet effective, steps that can make an impact:
Switch Off Lights, laptops, charges and heating systems when you leave the office
10 CHAMBERLINK February 2019 Katie Hale
‘There are big savings to be made by being more conscious about what you buy’
Recycle Placing accessible paper recycling bins around the office - make it easy for staff to recycle
Travel Motivate staff to car share or cycle to work. Do you have a travel card loan scheme? Is there somewhere
for staff to leave a bike? Can you provide washing facilities / showers?
Sustainable Suppliers Use sustainable sources for office supplies. Good suppliers will have an environmental policy and where possible, ISO certification
Sutton Coldfield
Chamber of Commerce
Hot water A hot water tap is more cost effective than a kettle but also think of the time wasted waiting for the kettle to boil. If you are sticking with the kettle only boil what you need.
Printing If you have to print it, why not go double sided? Does everyone need a copy of the report for the meeting or can you work from the screens? Are you refilling ink cartridges and recycling old ones?
Tidy Office, Tidy Minds Could having a paperless environment increase productivity?
Think & Buy Local Think about how far a product has travelled to reach you and what the carbon footprint might be
Office Furniture Look at recycled furniture when kitting out your office– it’s often as good as new, cheaper and you are getting better value for money
Get rid of the plastic No more plastic cups in the office. Install a filter tap and encourage staff to bring in reusable water bottles. Hydrated staff can also help enhance physical and mental performance.
These are a sample of changes
we will be encouraging businesses to consider with the launch of our pledge, if you have initiatives you are already running or have more ideas please let us know! There is already some great
work being done in this area. It was heartening to see students at Coleshill School – part of the Sutton Coldfield-based Arthur Terry Learning Partnership – have designed their own reusable water bottles with the help of water and waste experts Suez. We’re keen for businesses in and
around the Royal Town to get involved in our initiative – and share their best practices. Remember – Just one change could make a world of difference.
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