EcoPledge
Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce were keen to launch a campaign that everyone could be involved in and be passionate about. Climate change and our environment has to be a priority for all businesses no matter how small.
Having an EcoPledge can not only impact your bottom line but can also make your business more attractive to potential employees.
“It’s just one cup said 66 million people… “
Let’s change the small things to make a big difference.
WHY would I get involved?
- Waste can be turned into revenue
- Changes can improve your bottom line
- You will become more attractive as a client/ supplier
- You will become more attractive as an employer
- You can make small changes that make a big impact
HOW do we make a pledge?
- Switch off! - lights, laptops or anything electrical when you leave the office at night. Remove chargers/ turn off heating.
- Recycle - paper is the easiest to recycle. Place accessible paper recycling bins around the office.
- Travel - incentivise staff to car share or cycle to work. Do you have a travel card loan scheme? Is there somewhere for staff to leave a bike if they chose to cycle to work? Can you provide washing facilities/ showers?
- Sustainable suppliers - use sustainable sources for office supplies. Good suppliers will have an environmental policy and where possible, ISO certification. Projects such as HS2, Commonwealth Games and the Peddimore developments will be looking at their supply chain to ensure suppliers have a sustainability policy so position yourself ready.
- Put the kettle on - a hot water tap is more cost effective than a kettle but also think of the time wasted waiting for the kettle to boil. If you are sticking with the kettle, only boil what you need.
- Printing - if you have to print it, go double sided. Does everyone need a copy of the report for the meeting or can you work from the screens? Are you refilling ink cartridges and recycling old ones?
- Think and buy local - think about how far a product has travelled to reach you and what the carbon footprint might be. Use sustainable sources for office supplies. Good suppliers will have an environmental policy and where possible, ISO certification.
- New office furniture? - Look at recycled office furniture. Often it’s as good as new, cheaper and you are getting more value for your money.
- Get rid of the plastic! - No more plastic cups in the office. Encourage everyone to have a water bottle and install a filter tap. A hydrated workforce will improve productivity and can help enhance physical and mental performance.
- Travel - could you reduce your business miles? Could meetings be held on Skype or reorganised so they make best use of time to reduce your carbon footprint?
Share with your office and record your journey in making it happen. Keep us posted with your progress on Facebook / Twitter and LinkedIn.
We have a list of companies who can help with your pledge;
- International Synergies - one hour business consultation (click here)
- SUEZ - waste management and recycling (click here)
- Global Cooling - follow them on social media for hints, tips and ideas @_globalcooling
- Carbon calculator - find out your CO2 emissions (click here)
Once you agree the change your business will make you can submit a press release confirming your pledge, a quote, details about the pledge itself and a photo and email to Chris Brewerton at Sutton Coldfield Chamber.
This article will then be shared on the weekly Sutton Coldfield newsletter, added to this page and we’d suggest you use social media; LinkedIn (tag in Chris Brewerton and Katie Hale) and Twitter (tag in Sutton Coldfield Chamber twitter @sutton_chamber and Katie Hale @ktjhales) to further promote the article.
Check out what pledges have been made so far by local businesses: