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It is not
just individuals that can make a difference and save money
in the process. Businesses make up a large proportion
of our greenhouse gas emissions and waste creation, as well
as being high consumers of natural resources.
The good news is that businesses can do
a lot to contribute to the longevity of the planet, and in
turn ensure the longevity of their business.
A good place to start is by taking a
picture of where your business currently stands. What
resources are you consuming? What emissions are you
producing? How much waste do you create.
The New
Zealand Ministry of Economic Development has developed
Envirostep, a free, entry level environmental management
tool for small to medium enterprises. It will give you
an environment performance score and profile, plus
recommendations to reduce operating costs, environmental
impacts and risks.
Have a look through the ideas below and note down those
ideas that you can put in place today, and those that you
can work towards.
Quick Wins
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Only
turn on lights when you need them and turn them off when
you leave the room. Make sure all lights are
turned off overnight.
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Encourage all staff to turn off computers, monitors and
printers overnight.
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Ensure
all hose pipes and water irrigation systems have flow
controls.
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Check
how your hazardous waste is being disposed of - is it
being done safely? Make sure all hazardous
substances are stored safely.
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Make
office recycling a possibility by providing staff areas
to recycle paper, plastic, glass, cans and printer
toners.
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Regularly check the tire pressure on your vehicles and
get all vehicles serviced annually.
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Allow
staff to travel outside of peak traffic times and
encourage car pooling and public transport usage.
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If
your business helps others to be eco friendly,
contact
us to advertise on this site.
Top
Medium
Term Wins
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Install energy efficient light bulbs - check out
RightLight.govt.nz
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Make use of natural
lighting where possible.
-
Buy a thermal wrap for your
hot water cylinder and ensure your hot water pipes are
insulated.
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Monitor your energy and
water usage over a period of time to see what events
trigger high usage.
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Get an energy audit or
carbon footprint analysis completed for your business.
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Identify the main sources
and types of waste produced. Look for where this
waste can be reduced and/or recycled.
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Plan your vehicle movements
to minimise unnecessary travel.
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Check for any possible
sources of soil, water or air contamination from your
site.
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Routinely check your site
and equipment for any possible defects and environmental
hazards.
Top
Longer Term Wins
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When
you are replacing your whiteware, look for the models
with the highest number of energy efficient stars.
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Install
solar water heating
or some other renewable energy source
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Ensure your gardens and
landscaped areas contain plant species with a low water
demand.
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Install dual flush toilets.
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Choose
water efficient toilets and taps
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Install a
water tank which can be plumbed in. This can
be used for grey water use, landscape watering, cleaning
and more.
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Consider the amount of
packaging that is being used for your products. Can
it be reduced? Can the end user recycle it?
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Replace older inefficient
vehicles with more efficient vehicles. Choose a
vehicle that is fuel efficient for the type of travel
that you will be doing - check out
rightcar.govt.nz.
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Develop an environmental
policy for your business. Review it regularly,
check your performance against it, and see where it can
be improved. Make sure your staff are aware of it and
understand it. Include sustainability reporting in your
annual report.
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Your stakeholders care
about the environment too. Include environmental
reporting in your next annual report.
Top
Useful Links
Christchurch -
Target Sustainability, a free business resource
efficiency consultancy
Global Reporting Initiative, guidelines on
sustainability reporting
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