Companexus Environment Zone

Waste, energy and water reduction tips and facts

• Waste

• Every tonne of glass recycled saves 1.2 tonnes of raw materials and the equivalent of 30 gallons of oil energy.
• The UK gets through around 12 billion cans every year - if placed end to end they would stretch to the moon and back.

• Energy

• For every 1oC of building temp reduced, gas bills will be reduced by 10%.
• A monitor left switched on overnight wastes enough energy to laser print 800 A4 pages.
• A photocopier left on overnight wastes enough energy to make 5,300 A4 copies.
• On average televisions left on "standby" mode consume up to 20% of their full power.
• Duplexing (ie double sided photocopying) can save up to 75% in energy consumption.

• Water

• If everyone in the UK took a shower (not a power shower) rather than a bath we would collectively save as much water in a week as it would take to fill Wembley stadium 10 times.
• A tap that drips once every second can waste up to 4 litres of water per day. If the drips are breaking into a stream wastage is about 90 litres per day.

• Water Pollution

• Oil accounts for a quarter of all pollution incidents and a single can of oil poured onto a lake can spread to cover an area the size of 2 football pitches and can cause widespread damage.
• Milk, fruit juice, alcohol, cream, yoghurt entering a surface water drain can be up to a thousand times more destructive than raw sewage or chemical waste and, even in small amounts, can wipe out whole river populations through oxygen starvation.
• Over 70% of boreholes in some urban areas are contaminated with solvents. Just one litre of solvent is enough to contaminate 100 million litres of drinking water.
• Every £75 of energy saved avoids the release of one tonne of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Compliance with Green Regulations - Is Your Business Legal?

• A waste producer should -
• Know how much waste they generate and what it consists of
• Ensure that their waste is collected by a Registered Waste Carrier or Exempt Carrier
• Receive a Waste Transfer Note containing a description of the waste for disposal recycling.
• Satisfy themselves that the waste is delt with properly and legally through the disposal chain.

Mayor's Green Procurement Code

The Mayor's Green Procurement Code was launched on 4 March 2001 to encourage businesses in London to purchase goods made from recycled materials. The Code is being delivered on behalf of the Mayor by London Remade, a not-for-profit organisation. It aims to stimulate demand for recycled products and materials, creating a business solution to the waste problem and thus helping London become a more sustainable city. All thirty three London boroughs have signed up to the code and over 400 of London's key organisations and businesses. All have committed themselves to working with the Mayor and London Remade to explore opportunities for buying recycled products and achieving measurable targets.

The Code operates at four levels of commitment. Organisations that sign up to the basic level agree to discuss the possibility of buying recycled; at the highest level, the organisation agrees to set targets for green procurement.

The Code is now helping many of London's private and public sector organisations to buy quality recycled products at competitive prices. A dedicated team of brokers at London Remade are able to offer free advice to signatories on green procurement issues and put them in contact with suitable suppliers for a wide range of recycled products from paper to plant pots and clothing to construction materials.

To sign up to the Mayor's Green Procurement Code, visit the London Remade website.

The Mayor's Green Procurement Code programme is funded by Shanks First and the London Development Agency and sponsorship provided by public and private sector organisations.