Businesses in Scotland who actively try to reduce their waste could boost their
profits and efficiency levels, according to the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency (SEPA).
The claim was made as SEPA launched their second national survey of business waste in Scotland today, 1 October 2007. The survey will help both them and businesses understand the contribution business waste makes to the Scottish
environment and, ultimately, climate change. Over 30,000 Scottish businesses will receive copies of the survey which will help SEPA establish just how much waste was produced by business in 2006.
Cindy Lee of SEPA commented: "More information about the trends in business
waste in Scotland will help us to work with business to reduce waste production. Scotland has to reduce the waste it sends to landfill and businesses play a part in achieving this. The businesses receiving this survey have been selected randomly and we encourage them to go on line and send us back their details. This is a really good opportunity for Scottish businesses to share their views
with us on how they see Scotland managing business waste in the future."
The Scottish Government is fully supportive of this survey and it is also endorsed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
Commenting on the survey, Alan Mitchell, Assistant Director of CBI Scotland said; "Reducing waste from its operations is one of the most effective ways for business to reduce its costs and to play its part in preserving the environment and tackling climate change. To make sure that business gets the right support to enable them to do this, SEPA and other government agencies need to know exactly what steps business is already taking to recycle and reduce waste, and what additional public policy initiatives would help do more. It is vital that business sets the agenda for tackling climate change so that Scotland's economic competitiveness is not undermined, and CBI Scotland encourages every business to
take the time to complete the Scottish Business Waste Survey."
Also Andy Willox, Scottish Policy Convener for the FSB, stated;
"The Scotland Business Waste Survey will improve the data available on business waste, help firms to make greater efficiency savings, and, at the same time,
protect Scotland's natural environment. We need better information on the types of waste small firms are currently throwing out so that we can do more to help them minimise their waste and introduce better business recycling facilities."
The report will be published on the SEPA website in autumn 2008.
The results will be used for national and European reporting, and to help
businesses improve their waste management practices, which could save them money and increase efficiency. The compiled data will also aid the development of better waste services for Scottish businesses. For further information about the
survey visit: http://www.sepa.org.uk/nws/data/survey/index.htm