www.everythingsgonegreen.co.uk

A new report by The House of Lords Science & Technology Committee has officially suggested what we’ve been saying here for a while; businesses should account for waste from their own products.

After reporting on the negligence of companies toward handling their own big brand litter, we asked the questions:

• Shouldn’t mass-market global brands be contributing a good percentage of their profits toward cleaning up the by-products of their products?
• Should there be a litter tax whereby for every item of a certain brand/item that is swept up from public places there is a charge to the producer/manufacturer?

These are fair questions since all good people want their towns and cities to be clean and litter louts are not just a nuisance but also cost honest taxpayers money too. The other night Bill Bryson was on TV highlighting the litter problem this country has suffered over the last few decades; in one instance a council spent £6 million on litter picking and around 60-70% of that was from cigarette-related waste.

Cheers to our councils for trying to fine people. Cheers for campaigns to get Britain tidy. And cheers to the report for confirming what so many of us have been thinking all along.

We’ve been thinking about the things a business can do to “go green” and that won’t cost them a penny and it was a pretty easy list to drum up. The simplicity of going green is that a business will not only become environmentally friendly and help towards sustainability but will actually cut costs; any business that cuts costs is saving money – saving money equates to more profit. So it’s what they call a win-win situation.

1. Switch off the Lights.

Whilst modern lighting can be very energy efficient it’s cheaper not to have lights on at all. So wherever possible, switch off the light, and make sure your staff know to do the same.

Make use of natural light wherever possible; keep blinds open, make sure windows are clean and try and remove any obstacles that prevent your premises being naturally lit.

2. Turn off electrical equipment when not in use.

A computer on standby still uses electricity, small as that amount of energy use may be, it all adds up. Switch off monitors, unplug any power packs, chargers etc. and switch off at the socket if possible or simply unplug.

3. Turn down the thermostat.

If you’re heating your premises in cold periods then turn the thermostat down a notch. We’ve become so used to having tropical temperature workplaces that it’s no wonder the heating bill has gone up, so encourage staff to close drafty windows and doors and wear another layer of clothing if needs be.

4. Open the windows.

Conversely, keeping cool is more economical if you simply open the windows when the weather is warmer – air conditioning is costly and uses huge amounts of energy and yet opening the windows is good to get fresh air and allowing air to circulate.

5. Change your driving habits.

For those companies that use vehicles, it might be time to drive a little more effectively. Hard accelerating and braking waste petrol so drive smoothly; Cruising saves fuel and you get to your destination less stressed.

Make sure your tires inflated to the correct pressure; an incorrectly inflated tyre will reduce your mileage per gallon.

Reducing vehicle usage, encouraging car-sharing and walking will also cut your costs.

6. Printing.

Firstly, think about your office printing needs: do you really have to print off every email or document that gets sent to you, even the first drafts? By keeping documents on your PC you will dramatically cut your paper and ink/toner costs.

If you do have to print documents then consider duplex printing or printing on both sides of the paper. Duplex printing alone will cut your printer paper bill in half.

7. Save Water.

A dripping tap can waste up to 10,000 litres of water a year, so ensure you turn off the taps. If you’re on a meter you’ll see your water bill reduced.

You can cut down on the amount of water in toilet cisterns by placing a water-filled bottle in there or a bag filled with stones.

8. Tea break.

Use mugs, cups and glasses in your workplace rather than plastic or polystyrene. This encourages you to reduce and reuse.

9. Remove Individual Waste Bins.

Using a centralised bin as part of your plan to reduce & recycle waste encourages staff to think about their waste.

10. Pass it on.

By being a greener business you can promote business best practice to your customers and your suppliers. Genuine action to become an environmentally aware business is worthwhile to your bottom line and to the bottom line of other businesses with whom you are involved and will promote sustainability.

Actively encouraging your staff to take green steps will allow them to take greater responsibility and pride in their work and benefit them out of work too.

We don’t like the energy company E.ON

Previously they’ve attempted greenwash to promote their image by getting football fans to car share in their carbon footyprint campaign.

Then somebody kindly pointed out that E.ON’s new Kingsnorth power station is to be coal-fired, belching out as much CO2 in one year as E.ON are asking football fans to save over a period of 200 years!

Asking us to do our bit whilst they continue to pollute is ludicrous.

And now, according to the BBC, Mark Owen-Lloyd of E.ON showed yesterday exactly what the power company thinks of high energy bills.

When asked at a presentation in a seminar run by the energy regulator Ofgem what a cold winter would do for energy prices, the E.ON executive said it would mean “more money for us”

With a profit of £877 million last year and energy bills up 30% recently, that sort of remark shows the sort of contempt that the energy companies have for Joe public.

Despite making a statement that this was a personal remark and did not reflect the views of the company, it makes you wonder just how many more people like this are working at E.ON… all of them? In business you don’t tell the customer you’re there to make money from them, you simply think it and keep your mouth shut. E.ON’s Mr Owen-Lloyd was obviously too excited about the bonuses he’s going to rob earn from the poor and the elderly to exercise any “restraint”.

This isn’t just energy generation, this is cold-hearted business, the sort of business where greed wins over service.

What are you going to do if you don’t like it, go somewhere else and get your energy? Because all the other big energy companies in this “free market” have put their prices up too. So basically we’re all being bent over a barrel by the big energy companies whilst they extract a fat profit from your shallow pockets in order to line theirs.

Gotta have a bit of bubbly at the shareholders meeting? Sounds about right.