How an SME saved over $3000 from sustainability action
Carbon Group's parent company, Andrew.Stewart (ASL), like many SMEs, faces the challenge of finding the time and resources to fully structure and formalise an ongoing programme of sustainability measurement and reporting.
However with environmental sustainability as part of core business the company is striving to be a good role model for other SME. In 2009, ASL reduced electricity use by over 30%, saving over $3000, plus reduced waste to landfill by over 50%, saving over $150 per year.
Read on for the full story...
ASL has had an environmental policy and programme, and been measuring and reporting on electricity use, company vehicle use, waste production, staff commuting, and carbon footprint for several years.
The policy has been developed with a thorough understanding of the ways that our business impacts on the environment. As a small, office-based professional services company, these impacts are relatively minor, but this is not a reason for inaction.
Both the policy and programme covers the main activities over which the company has the ability to control or strongly influence. It has focussed on office energy use, office resource use and waste minimisation, and business travel.
To date ASL has implemented a range of no, or low, cost waste minimisation and electricity efficiency measures. For tips on actions, visit our Low Zone pages on Saving Power and Cutting Waste.
The prime focus of the sustainability programme is the environmental dimension, although ASL also consider the social dimension of sustainability, and recognise that taking action to improve environmental performance often has an economic benefit (e.g. energy and resource use efficiencies).
The waste minimisation and recycling policy, is consistent with company operations as an office-based environmental services company. In summary ASL collect organic waste, have recycling bins, paper recycle desk trays, reduced number of general waste bins, and have a double-sided printing policy. The company also encourage reduced printing (e.g. scanning to file), and two pages to a side printing when appropriate.
By periodically measuring general office waste (to landfill) and organic waste collection, we estimate that we have cut waste to landfill by at least 50%. For example, in our waste measurement in September 2009, the weight of waste to landfill was 22kg, with 36kg of organic waste (which is taken home by Alice and Aaron for their compost).
From this we estimate that we avoid sending about 350kg of waste to landfill each year. Using the relevant, and most conservative, NZ government GHG emission factor (for garden/food waste to a landfill with gas recovery) the estimated avoided GHG emissions are 190kg CO2-e.
Financially, as we use a per bag waste service, we estimate we save one bag per week, so saving over $150 per year. (We have collected recyclables for many years, so have not included these in any savings estimates.)
Directors Aaron and Alice have further enhanced their organic waste service this year by obtaining four chickens, which to everyone’s delight started laying eggs early this month. These part time free rangers have even been known to produce a double-yolker, further proof that it is possible to refer to traditionally labelled “waste” such as office compost, as a resource.
Our energy efficiency policy has simple measures that include reminder stickers on switches/controls, removal of unnecessary lighting units, custom-made posters (e.g. last to leave), use of energy saving settings on computers and other equipment (e.g. dishwashers), and regular monitoring of air con settings (to ensure most appropriate timer and temperature settings for season). By weekly reading of our electricity meter, we keep a close eye on electricity use, and monitor any unusual patterns.
Since introducing these measures on a co-ordinated basis in late 2008, we have cut usage by over 30%. Our consumption in 2009 was about 42000 kWh, down from over 61000 kWh in 2008. (Part of this reduction can be accounted for by a reduction in number of on-site staff, from a sub-tenant, but the same floor space was still utilised). This reduction results in avoided GHG emissions of over 4 tonnes CO2-e (using NZ government emission factors).
Financially, the saving in 2009 was estimated at over $3,000, excl GST (based on unit price of 17.7c).
Building on the work to date, we have now developed detailed objectives and targets for the programme. We are currently enhancing our measurement and reporting, and are in the process of preparing comprehensive reporting covering the whole programme.
August 2010