x
RECEIVE BUSINESS MK FREE TO YOUR DOOR EACH MONTH, COURTESY OF ROYAL MAIL.
* indicates required

Customers expect… so business must deliver on sustainability, says survey

REDUCING waste and their carbon footprint and increasing the amount of recycling are top of the sustainability agenda for businesses across the region.

New research reveals that nine out of ten business in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire believe it is important that they become more eco-friendly. 

A key driver is the expectations of both today’s customers and employees, as well as growing awareness of the importance of protecting the environment.

The survey, carried out by regional waste management and recycling specialist Cawleys ahead of the RECYCLE WEEK campaign, confirms that seven out of ten businesses acknowledge the importance of their displaying green credentials and environmental awareness to both clients and staff.

Asked which sustainability measures were most important to them, more than 70 per cent prioritised less waste, a lower carbon footprint and more recycling. Least popular is carbon offsetting, the use of green energy and reducing road miles.

Organisations surveyed said that recycling more plastic and card and reducing landfill would make the most positive impact on their brand’s reputation. Litter picking and, again, carbon offsetting were considered to have the least impact on brand.

Cawleys director of customer service Anna Cawley said the findings confirmed just how important green credentials are to customers and employees of local businesses.

Anna Cawley

“This snapshot of business at a local level shows just how eco-aware businesses in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire really are,” she added. “It also shows that people want real and tangible solutions with measures such as waste reduction and active recycling featuring far more prominently than other carbon reduction methods.”

RECYCLE WEEK is a campaign organised by the independent body WRAP, which works with governments, businesses and communities to improve resource efficiency. Its latest research shows that recycling saves a total of 18 million tonnes of CO2 a year in the UK

“Recycling is often the easiest and most effective way of combatting environmental issues and we are proud to be helping so many businesses recycle as much as possible,” said Ms Cawley.

Cawleys, headquartered in Luton, was the first company in the UK to provide a specialist food waste recycling service to anaerobic digestion and has won numerous awards for its recycling best practice.


More from Bedford:

More environment articles: