GBN Aims To Save Local Businesses £250,000

5th Oct 2005

Bedfordshire Green Business Network (GBN) has just secured Envirowise funding aimed at saving member companies in Bedfordshire, Luton and neighbouring areas a whopping £250,000 in resource efficiency savings this year.

The new funding gives GBN the opportunity to provide members with the dedicated support necessary to make business improvements under the Resource Efficiency Action Programme (REAP).

REAP will help managers to see where the opportunities for savings are within their business through free on-site support, and will go on to help build on their knowledge through free nationally accredited training. The project will offer training, which covers waste awareness, energy efficiency, process mapping, as well as the more advanced IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment) Resource Efficiency course. Resource efficiency looks at inputs, processes and outputs and takes out waste across the board.

Companies involved with the Business Environmental Training Initiative (BETI) have proved that local businesses can make savings of up to £35,000 using low and no cost resource efficiency approaches. With the focus now clearly on resource efficiency, GBN is confident that local businesses involved will regularly demonstrate similar improvements.

Sarah Williams, senior economic development officer with Bedfordshire County Council and project manager of the award winning Business Environmental Training Initiative (BETI), has been seconded to GBN as chief executive to bring the project to fruition.

Charles Neame, chair of GBN, says, “Sarah brings with her a wealth of business experience and a clear understanding of the competitive advantages businesses can gain from improved resource efficiency.” Every company, regardless of size, or area of activity that has yet to address resource efficiency is throwing away profit – on average 4.5% of turnover but sometimes as much as 10%.

Sarah Williams says, “How can a small company grow and invest in its future if it’s throwing away its profit like this? Indeed, how can any company compete in the global marketplace if it is that inefficient? REAP is a wonderful opportunity for GBN to demonstrate how addressing environmental issues within business can benefit both the business and our environment”.

The GBN Resource Efficiency and Action Programme will be officially launched at the GBN Luton Business Environment Event on 13 October, but managers who would like to find out more are welcome to make contact now.

For further information:

http://www.gbn-bedfordshire.org.uk
sarah@gbn-bedfordshire.org.uk
Contact Sarah Williams

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