It's easy being green
SMEs can be environmentally conscious without it costing a fortune. John Swainston reports on thought-starters for ‘green-thinking' for your business.
In August this year Prime Minister John Howard warned Australians that petrol is set to remain around $1.40 a litre. Assuming average usage each year, if you run just 10 six cylinder company vehicles, petrol costs will have risen around $12,000 compared to just two years ago. You might also factor in the reductions of used car values, which have occurred in this vehicle segment. It's one reason why economical diesel passenger vehicle sales doubled in the first six months of 2006 and why the government has recently introduced new LPG conversion subsidies.
Apart from making financial sense, an increasing number of business owners are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of their operations. A decade ago, environmental concerns were largely the domain of "greenies". But now, corporate social responsibility and triple bottom line accounting is firmly on the agenda. This means addressing financial, social and environmental issues associated with your business. Business owners are understanding the impact of minimising their "footprint" on the planet.
Happily there are many ways a small- or medium-sized organisation can attack some of these rising costs, while lowering its environmental footprint, but still carrying on business profitably.
Taking the first step
Peter Letton, Director of Sydney-based SME, CSM Storage and Filing Solutions, says that being "green" is a journey. "We've gone through a process of slowly greening our business," says Letton. "It's not something that's going to happen overnight. A few years ago, we decided to look at our water usage. As a result we implemented a number of processes to save water – including the installation of water tanks to recycle storm water and incorporating a method of washing the steel which goes into our filing cabinets and furniture without using water."
Letton points out that while there are initial cost implications, the long term effects are significant. "There are positive outcomes not only for the environment but also in relation to safety. Now that we don't use water to wash steel, CSM has a much cleaner factory, staff don't suffer from skin conditions, there are fewer air-borne contaminants and we don't have to remove the sludge."
As a member of the Green Building Council of Australia, CSM is also taking another step in the greening process by engaging consultants to environmentally audit each step of their manufacturing process.
"We want to ensure that our manufacturing leaves a minimal footprint on the environment throughout the entire lifecycle," says Letton. "Apart from the fact that it's the right thing to do, our clients also like the fact they are buying from an environmentally conscious business."
Recycle and reuse
Most businesses, large or small, are familiar with recycling paper. Apart from paper, probably the most common items consumed in every office are printer toner or inkjet cartridges. Involving most leading electrical and computer retailers and Australia Post, Planet Ark now provides 5,000 locations around the country, where you can drop off used cartridges, which are then re-processed. This program is driven by responsible global manufacturers who have worked out better ways to look at whole-of-life product life cycles.
Nearly everyone now uses a mobile phone, typically with just 15 months between changeovers. A scheme to recover used phones has been started by Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), the peak industry body representing Australia's mobile telecommunications industry. Its mission is to promote an environmentally, socially and economically responsible and successful mobile telecommunications industry in Australia. Most phone retailers are already or soon will be participants.
The saying goes that one person's trash is another person's treasure. Often, the waste your business produces may be just what another company is looking for. Noah's Ark Waste Exchange Network is just one of several schemes to enable your wastes to find a productive home elsewhere. It allows businesses to list waste products which may end up becoming a useful input in another company's processes.
Using resources efficiently
Most offices are heavily over-lit. Modern fluorescent lights are up to 75% more energy efficient than older incandescent lights. A gain of 30% in light output is often achieved, simply by cleaning the plastic covers from a ceiling light. A new tube will provide 35% more light than an ageing one. Often you can eliminate one of the two tubes, further saving on cost. When you consider that up to 40% of all electricity generated is lost in transmission, each 40-watt tube saved is making a real 50% saving in total energy demand per fixture.
Similarly, with Australia's water shortage looming ominously on the horizon, it's important to review your water usage. According to Sydney Water, leaking pipes can waste up to 200 litres each day. Consider installing low-flow taps or tap aerators which are more efficient than ordinary-use taps.
When it comes to electricity, most businesses can choose a Green Power option from their energy supplier, which means the supplier agrees that a portion of the energy comes from renewable sources.
Offset your carbon emissions
The Australian Greenhouse Office reports that in 2004, Australia's Stationery Energy Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions had risen by 43% since 1990, while transport carbon outputs climbed 24%. That's against a backdrop of an 8% Kyoto target increase to 2008. Only massive one-time reductions in land clearing emissions are keeping Australia on target.
In going about our business, we all produce greenhouse gases. Practically speaking, this is unavoidable, but you can offset all the carbon emissions of your vehicle fleet, your office or factory. For example, Sustainable Living Fabrics is a Melbourne textile company recognised as leaders in environmental textiles for commercial seating. As part of its commitment to sustainability, this SME offsets its greenhouse gas emissions through Greenfleet.
"We not only offset the greenhouse gas emissions attributed to the actual manufacture of our fabrics but take it right back to the raw materials including the methane emitted by the sheep producing the wool for our fabrics," says marketing director Kay Jones.
"We also offset the greenhouse emissions from the cars of all our employees and their families, and all business air travel."
Greenfleet – and similar organisations such as Carbon Neutral – plants trees to reduce the impact of cars and home and business energy use on the environment. For $40, Greenfleet will plant 17 trees on your behalf to offset emissions.
Taking time to apply innovative thinking to these and other business processes, as they affect waste and the environmental impact of your organisation may yield healthy savings, making you and your team a whole lot happier about the greener world you'll be helping to create.
Some useful websites to help you start making a green difference:
www.amta.org.au
www.greenfleet.com.au
www.carbonneutral.com.au
www.recyclingnearyou.com.au
www.savewater.com.au
www.noahsark.org.au
John Swainston is Deputy Chair of Maxwell Optical Industries and a member of the task force of the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative.