Bedford

Managers Turn Waste to Profit With GBN

6th Apr 2006

Nationally accredited by CIWM, the course provides a sound introduction to waste issues for business and helps managers understand where waste in all its forms can be turned from a cost to an opportunity to add value to their bottom line.

The course helped the ten local managers develop the skills and knowledge needed to identify opportunities for minimising waste in their organisation as well as avoid common health & safety and legal issues.

The CIWM Waste Awareness Certificate is being offered free of charge to managers on the GBN Resource Efficiency & Action Programme (REAP) via funding from the Government’s waste minimisation programme, Envirowise.

GBN chief executive, Sarah Williams explained; “Twenty per cent of the landfill tax businesses pay is used to help managers find ways of reducing the waste they send to landfill through projects such as REAP. That tax has recently been increased by a further £3 per tonne to £21 – in addition to the cost of disposal.

“However, these costs are just the tip of the iceberg – as the true cost of waste is easily 10 to 20 times the cost of disposal when you include the cost of wasted raw materials, wasted energy, wasted water, wasted labour, transport, storage and so on! In fact, businesses normally spend around 4% of their turnover producing waste. This is a clear competitive issue. No business I know can afford to be throwing away potential profit like this”.

The design of the waste awareness course enables managers to maximise the benefits of working together and get the most out of shared best practice and networking.

The GBN REAP is looking to demonstrate £250,000 in business savings this year.

For further information on how your company can be involved, please email sarah@gbn-bedfordshire.org.uk or visit www.gbn-bedfordshire.org.uk

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