Supporting best practice

Aims

To show how voluntary commitments can help businesses use resources more efficiently.

Local authority recycling and waste commitment

Many small businesses look to local authorities to provide them with recycling services and with environmental advice.¹

We believe that encouraging local authorities to sign up to this Commitment will:

• increase access to recycling services by businesses;
• make businesses aware of their legal responsibilities regarding waste; and
• increase business confidence and satisfaction with recycling services.

Local authorities who sign up to this Commitment demonstrate their intent to provide businesses with effective waste and recycling service, either themselves, or through private and third sector waste management providers.

Benefits to authorities include:

• reduced waste to landfill;
• less misuse of household services;
• customer attraction and retention;
• income potential; and
• economic development.

There are a range of resources and support available to help all authorities meet the principles of the Commitment and we will provide specific support to a number of authorities in the South East to monitor the Commitment’s effectiveness. We will also host a networking and impact event in February for authorities to learn from each other’s experiences of meeting the principles in the commitment. If you would like to get involved or would like further information go to www.wrap.org.uk/labusinesscommitment or e-mail: commitment@wrap.org.uk

A road map for the events sector

The events sector is looking to become more sustainable. With industry consultation we will create a road map for organisations who want to reduce their waste and provide tools to help them do so.

To support the implementation of the roadmap we are producing a number of case studies about how to achieve resource efficiency within the events sector. These case studies will cover a range of different types of event.

Support is already available. Working in partnership with LOCOG (the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games), WRAP has developed a free online tool for event organisers, venues and suppliers to manage and reduce event related waste.

To find out more or take part contact Lowelle.bryan@wrap.org.uk.

Training business advisors in specific guidance for SE businesses and in the outputs from EPOW.

The project set out to provide training for business support organisations (BSOs) on the objectives, methods and deliverables of the EPOW programme. The aim was to encourage BSOs to signpost their audiences to the EPOW programme in the South East. With uncertainty over how business support will be delivered in the future it was agreed that existing Business Link advisers should be trained in EPOW goals and objectives by the end of March 2011.

Benefits

This work will increase business awareness about the benefits of resource efficiency. It will highlight the impacts resource efficiency will have on a business’s competitive and environmental performance. Through the waste collection commitment we willencourage more businesses to recycle and improve access to recycling services.

The roadmap for the events sector will help businesses in this sector meet the sustainability demands of their clients, achieve cost savings, and reduce their environmental impact.

Project status

The waste collection commitment was launched by Lord Taylor at the LARAC conference on the 19th October 2011.

The roadmap for the events sector is currently out to tender and will be developed in consultation with the industry.

Training for business support organisations was completed in March 2011. Over 40 business link advisors were trained in how to help a business become resource efficient. We are currently producing a report tosummarise the training, its benefits and lessons learned. This will be available early 2012.

WRAP took over responsibility for this work from SEEDA in March 2011.

¹ ‘Recycling Activities in SMEs’, 2010 and ‘SME-nvironmentSurvey 2009: England’