Research recently released by Envirowise, which is a government-funded programme, has found that more than half of office workers admit to wastefully printing documents and shows that the UK prints an average of 120 billion pieces of paper per annum*. The FPB believes that small businesses can contribute significantly to the reduction of waste, which in turn will have financial benefits for the firms themselves.
"A reduction in waste means spending less money," said James Millar, the FPB's Environmental Adviser. "The problem is that smaller businesses don't know where to start or who to turn to for help. In many cases, all they require is better access to information."
Matt Roper is Managing Director of Greenbuying.co.uk, a website that provides advice to businesses on how to be environmentally-friendly and reduce costs. "People can use techniques such as think green, do you need to print on email signatures and move printers away from desks. Both of these actions could lead to a reduction in the number of pages being printed."
Going green doesn't have to be an expensive option; in fact, in many cases, there is no cost at all: simply switching lights and computer screens off can make a world of difference. According to new research from the Carbon Trust, which was set up by the Government to reduce carbon emissions, businesses could save £2.5 billion over the next 12 months if they implemented energy-efficiency schemes.
The FPB and its partner company Greenbuying.co.uk help members of the FPB to purchase environmentally-friendly products and offer advice on implementing green money-saving schemes.
Greenbuying.co.uk offers rulers which started life as plastic bags and marker pens which were once flip-chart paper.
*Data taken from Fujitsu Siemens Computer Survey, October 2007.
