Posts Tagged ‘Management’
How Can ISO 14001 Benefit My Business?
May 16, 2012 | 
Author Environmental Issues are now of paramount consideration by company directors, owners and employees worldwide.
Since the 14001 Environmental management system includes everyone in the business and all aspects of the organization that affect the environment, it can improve an organization’s environmental performance in many ways. This improved performance comes at a cost to the organization, a cost which can be recovered by aggressively seeking benefits.
Some of those benefits are as follows:
All environmental policies and procedures are now in a consistent format
All documents are now more accessible to employees so compliance has improved
Regularly scheduled EMS reviews are ensuring both legal and ethical obligations are met in a timely fashion.
Increased Profits
The quantity of materials and energy required for manufacturing a product may be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the product, material handling costs, and waste disposal costs.
An EMS can help reduce incidents of pollution and the associated expense of recovery.
Recycling manufacturing waste and unused inputs could increase revenues. Recycling need not be within the same facility, but with another one that can use the waste as input to their production.
Employee health and safety can be improved, thereby improving productivity, decreasing sick days, and reducing insurable risk.
Insurance claims may be reduced, thus reducing the costs of coverage and settlements.
This is just a sample of the benefits available to business; the list of benefits and potential benefits is considerably larger.
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change, CO2, CSR, Environmental accounting, Footprint, ghg emissions, Iso14001, Social Responsibility | 
Tags: Benefits, Business, carbon reduction, Change, Climate, Corporate, CSR, EMS, Enterprise, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, environmental management system, Global, Green, Greenhouse, ISO 14001, Management, Money, Social, Social Responsibility, Solutions | 
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What Makes a Home a Green Home?
What Makes a Home a Green House?
One of the hottest topics today is about being environmentally friendly. There are many ways to become environmentally friendly about the home including water preservation and energy reduction. This not only helps with a positive action by reducing your impact on the environment, but will also save you money!
Lets take a look at what makes a home environmentally friendly.
Reduced Energy Use
Energy comes in many forms such as electricity, natural gas, oil, etc. The creation or use of this energy results in greenhouse gas emissions that affect our planet in a negative way.
Methods of Reducing Energy Usage
Insulation, One of the best things that you can do to make a green home is to ensure that the walls, windows, attic, and floors are all well insulated and draft free. The majority of the energy used in a home goes towards heating the house. Insulation will prevent the air temperature from escaping the home and save you money on your utilities.
Energy Star Appliances When one of your appliances has reached it’s end of life, or when you are building a new home, consider installing an appliance that meets energy star requirements. This will ensure that it will use over 30 percent less electricity or fuel than a typical appliance of that type.
Other options include advanced mechanical Systems On demand tankless water heaters, geothermal HVAC equipment, and even solar power is a great way to reduce the amount of energy that is wasted to run the plumbing, heat and air, and electrical systems in the home. While they can have a higher upfront cost than a typical unit of its kind, tax incentives from the government can offset a good deal of the extra cost and allow you to make the money back within a few years time.
Reduced Water Use
Water is another essential resource that can be preserved in our day to day use around the house.
Low Flow Fixtures Many low flow shower heads and toilets developed a bad reputation in the past because they could not live up to their less efficient counterparts. Fortunately, todays better engineered models and aerators allow you to experience the luxury and ease of use that you prefer, while additionally using a significantly lower amount of water.
Efficient Clothes Washers Many of the newer front loading clothes washers use as little as half of the water of a typical top loading washer. For families who are constantly putting in a new load of dirty clothes, this can lead to a significant savings in cost and water usage over time.
Use Rain Water For Irrigation For those who want to really cut down on water usage, storage tanks that collect rain water during a storm for latter use to water the garden and lawn can save thousands of gallons over the span of a summer.
These are just a few of the many ideas out there that will help ensure that your home is green. Environmentally friendly decisions in the home can lead to wallet friendly results over time and allow for the satisfaction of knowing you are reducing your negative impact on the planet.
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
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Iso 50001 As The New Energy Management Standard
According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) there is a pressing need for an international energy management standard. ISO 50001 is intended to establish an international framework for industrial plants and companies to manage all aspects of energy.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recognizes the high need for an international energy management standard by introducing ISO 50001 which can be very helpful in commercial energy management.
The need to promote energy efficiency, the adamant need to reduce carbon emissions, the higher prices of fossil fuels due to reduced supply, and the need to use renewable energy sources give enough reason for this new energy management standard to be developed which was based on advanced best practices and existing regional and national standards.” – Alan Brydon, ISO Secretary-General
It is estimated that 60% of carbon emissions are from energy production. Due to the threats and implications of global warming and climate change, now is the right time to maximize efficiency in energy use and to manage energy resources.
ISO 50001 will be complementary with ISO 14000 (environmental management standards series) and ISO 9000 (quality management standards series). The new energy management standards will help improve efficiency of enterprise energy management.
ISO 50001 has a set if goals which might be introduced by the end of the year 2010, as follows: * assist organizations in making better use of energy consuming assets * provide benchmarking, measuring, documenting and reporting guidance * facilitate communication and create transparency regarding the management of energy sources * promote best practices and reinforce good energy management behavior * assist in evaluation and prioritization of new technologies * help to promote energy efficiency through the supply chain
This new energy management standard will implement a framework which will help organizations give attention to energy efficiency to overall operation and further define management practices and attention. This new standard has been long awaited and introduction of such is already widely anticipated. One of the best ways to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions is energy efficiency and reduction on usage of fossil fuels.
To help companies reach targets in energy use reduction and carbon emissions, ISO 50001 can be used by corporations, supply-chain partnerships, and energy service utility companies. The new energy management standard could be used in the supply chain to be able to compare efficiency when it is implemented.
Being an international standard, the ISO 50001 will enable multinational organizations to have a consistent methodology in identifying and implementing energy efficient improvements.
Waste Management – What Happens to the Waste in your Rubbish Bin?
Each year in the UK alone, 22.5 million tonnes of waste is thrown in rubbish bins or waste bins around the home and office. All this waste has to be managed and waste management is of vital importance to ensure we are not all knee-deep in rubbish.
Waste management is becoming increasingly more important as government’s across the globe are trying to reduce the impact of waste on the environment. But what happens to all that rubbish that ends up in our waste bins and wheelie bins?
There are only really three methods for disposing of waste that we throw into our rubbish bins:
Landfill
Recycling
Incineration
And there are advantages and disadvantages in each method of waste management.
Landfills: land fills are either holes in the ground that are naturally forged such as canyons or ravines; holes forged by former industrial processes like mines or quarries; or just mounds where rubbish we place in our waste bins piles up.
Land fills are not necessarily detrimental to the environment. While they do create greenhouse gases such as methane, this is actually offering potential benefits as not only can the methane be captured to prevent it damaging the environment but also it can be used as a method of creating energy.
And while it is true that landfills can cause pollutants to enter the water table. Land fills can be covered over once used and the land can be converted into nature parks which can offset any damage the original land fill had on the environment.
Recycling: recycling is not just done at home by separating our rubbish by using a recycling bin. Much of what ends up in our conventional waste bin is now being recycled by waste management teams. And while recycling is obviously good for the environment, there are detrimental effects too. Some of our waste is exported abroad in vast quantities to be recycled but this can have harmful effects due to the carbon costs of transportation and the damage to local environment where the rubbish ends up, as often these are developing nations that have less stringent environmental rules.
Incineration: Incineration is perhaps the most environmentally unfriendly method of getting rid of the rubbish in our waste bins. Unfortunately, there are many nations that are forced to incinerate a lot of rubbish due to constraints in land space. The only alternative is to ship the rubbish abroad which is not only financially costly but also has environmental costs too.
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme – A Review
We are now well on the road to the end of the first year of the CRC.
We’ve had the scare stories, the organisations failing to register, or fewer organisations registering than were first thought. First estimates from the Government suggested 5000 plus organisations would be full participants with a further 20,000 as information disclosures.
We’ve had over 3,700 full participants register, what does this tell us?
For me, based on my research, it tells me that a lot of organisations were confused as to what they needed to do. For example, a car dealership, an example Defra used in their literature, if that dealership was a single franchise, SEAT for example, then if a single SEAT dealer anywhere else in the UK had a half hour meter then ALL SEAT dealerships and SEAT companies were in, under the banner of SEAT, who had the responsibility of collating this information. That’s nice and simple, until you then look at if that same dealership had say SEAT and VW at the same premises, they’re out? Add to that the ability to register independently so the SEAT brand did not have to account for everything that traded under its name . . . confused . . . therein lies the problem!
At least the Con/Dem co-alition government has pushed back the full implementation of phase 1 of the CRC by 12 months, the same for Phase 2.They are also looking at making the scheme simpler, firstly by making it a Tax, no payments from the pot for those that reduce emissions the most, Good or Bad?
For me it’s a bit of good and bad, organisations no longer being rewarded for reducing emissions will need to find some other motivation to reduce emissions! The good side is that it is giving these organisation more time to get to grips with the scheme, however, as experience has shown, a lot of organisation left it to the last minute before registering for the CRC, will they do the same again?
Initially Phase 1 reporting is primarily about Scope 1 & 2 emissions, Scope 1 being based on energy you produce, for example if you had a wind turbine and selling electricity back to the grid, Scope 2 is for energy you purchase.
However Phase 2 of the CRC is interesting, as it suggests that Scope 3 emissions will be included in a company’s declaration, a good way of introducing mandatory emissions reporting for all via the back door. Scope 3 covers everything from Travel to Suppliers.
If we look at suppliers for a large organisation, this could easily be in the thousands, a local authority I recently met with, have in excess of 5000 suppliers, under phase 2 they will need to liaise with all 5000, collate the emissions data for those 5000 and submit under the local authorities umbrella.
This will be an administrative nightmare for the unprepared, both the supplier and the large organisation. This will mean that for those who tender for work from larger organisations it will no longer be just a tick box exercise for environmental policy, such as ISO14001, it will be a detailed report on emissions and those not able to submit such a report, will ultimately, not win any business.
At Be Seen Go Green, we offer solutions for a variety of Environmental issues. Please click on the following link to contact us.
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Waste Management| Made simple
Mention waste management to most folks and they either don't have a clue what you're talking about, or they actually are not interested! It just sounds a load of rubbish, what do you care what other folks do with stuff they don't want? However, once you commence delving into what waste management is all about, then you realise there’s a entire cycle of events going on and it is quite an interesting topic to find out about.
Waste management is essentially how rubbish and trash is disposed of with out causing any harm to others or the environment. You'll find different aspects to waste management; these contain monitoring, collection, transportation, processing, and disposal or recycling. When carried out correctly, waste management is efficient and very environmentally friendly, and in today’s world is something every single conscientious company need to take responsibility for.
You'll find specialized environmental firms that present advice and services for waste collection, not just for householders, but also for industries and businesses. They are experienced in all areas of waste management solutions and will remove all your waste efficiently and quickly, transporting it to be disposed of inside the correct manner, or recycled.
Some of the waste services provided to industrial clients contain waste collection, recycling and disposal, hazardous waste management, emergency response, laboratory services, asbestos removal and re-Insulation.
Within the initial instance the environment service is concerned with monitoring, this is to identify the type of waste produced and in what quantity; they can then evaluate the processes they have to put into place to decrease the amount of waste produced. Records are kept to see if methods put into place are working and, if not, techniques could be changed and re-examined to make their implementation much more efficient.
Once the waste has been monitored and assessed it is time for the collection procedure. Skip bins and containers need to be emptied prior to they become too full and prevention of overspill or produce to rot is extremely crucial. Depending on the amount of waste produced will dictate the size and number of containers needed, and how frequently collections is going to be needed. You'll find different containers for every type of waste, some of these contain drums for hazardous liquid waste, tanks for acid or caustic waste, collection bins for e-waste and bulk bins and skip bins for construction site waste.
Next inside the cycle is organizing the transportation of all waste items collected.Specially designed waste vehicles make scheduled collections and are responsible for safely transporting it to the landfill, or treatment site where it'll be treated and then processed for Recycling. Vehicles need to meet safety standards and be licensed for this purpose, as waste could be a health hazard and even hazardous if not handled correctly, drivers and personnel connected with the transportation are needed to have the required training and expertise to deal with any potential danger.
Once the waste has all been collected it needs to be processed. This entails separating the waste collected, treating and then packaging the raw materials and sending the parts that could be recycled to the different factories that are all component of the recycling procedure. Materials that can’t be recycled is going to be transported to a landfill, and liquid and hazardous wastes is going to be disposed of safely.
Improvements and new practices in waste management and environmental solutions are inside the news all of the time, thanks to research and development projects that are committed to discovering much more efficient and secure methods of disposing of waste. There are many issues that are recyclable now that just a few years ago would have been thrown into a rising landfill, everyday items like paper, glass, newspapers and plastic bags to printer cartridges, corks, mobile phones, even fluorescent lamps could be treated and re-used.
Society has experienced a massive learning curve inside the reality that if we don't take action now to make certain our waste is processed correctly; nature will gladly do it for us, and in methods which could be detrimental to our environment.
Posted in computer recycling, Edinburgh Recycle, Edinburgh WEEE, eee, Energy, Food Recycling, Food Waste, glasgow eee, glasgow recycling, Glasgow waste, glasgow weee, landfill, London Recycle, London WEEE, Packaging Waste, Plastic Recycle, Plastic Recycling, Plastic waste, Recycle Edinburgh, Recycle London, Recycle UK, recycling, UK Recycle, UK WEEE, Waste management, Waste Plastic, weee, WEEE Edinburgh, WEEE London, WEEE UK, wheelie bin | Tags: Basics, computer recycling, edinburgh recycle, Edinburgh Recycling, Efficiency, electrical waste recycling, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, environmental management, glasgow eee, glasgow recycle, glasgow recycling, glasgow weee, ISO14001, London recycling, Management, Recycling, Reduce, Reducing, uk recycling, uk weee, Waste, waste management, waste recycling, weee | No Comments »
5 Steps to Effective Waste Management
5 Paths to Efficient Waste Management
What is effective waste management?
There is more to waste management than collecting rubbish and dumping it at landfill. Although this is a vital step in the process, there is a lot more to it!
Efficient Waste Management is a system : Monitoring, Collection, Transportation, Processing, Disposal / Recycle. Through these steps a company can effectively and responsibly manage waste output and their positive effect they have on the environment. Not to mention the potential to save/make money from waste sources.
Monitoring is identifying the waste management needs, identifying recycling opportunities and ways to minimize waste output, and reviewing how waste minimization is progressing. Through keeping records of the different waste streams, a customer can see the results of their efforts in becoming more environmentally friendly, and a more efficient business.
Collection involves the logistical organization to guarantee that bin containers will not overfill and waste sit time does not become too long. The correct bin container size and service frequency is a must to prevent overspill or excessive smell. The correct bins for different wastes must be available with sticker and bin colour identification. Locks, chains, lids and bars prevent public access and non-trained personnel putting rubbish in the incorrect bins.
Cooperation between the waste company and customer is vital. Bins must be accessible to the truck driver at the agreed times. Access to work premises outside work hours will cause an issue if unaddressed. Bin wheels can allow customers to move bins from convenient areas to serviceable locations.
Transportation is the organizing of waste transport vehicles with the authorization and ability to transport the specified wastes from a customer’s work residence to landfill or processing plant. A waste must be transported by the vehicle designed for it. For example, general waste requires a vehicle with thicker compacter walls, to that of a cardboard and paper waste transporting vehicle. Therefore, a customer may require a series of vehicles to meet their waste management needs.
Vehicles, drivers, and companies need licenses and approval to transport waste. EPA standards need to be upheld as well as General Public Safety. Safety standards are vital to the transportation of clinical and hazardous wastes. Drivers must undergo training for emergency circumstances that may arise.
Processing involves the separation of recyclables for treatment, and then after treatment are packaged as raw materials. These raw materials are sent to factories for production. Non-recyclable wastes by-pass this step and are delivered straight to landfill or processing plants. Liquid and hazardous wastes are delivered to treatment plants to become less hazardous to the public and environment.
Disposal / Recycling is the disposal of non recyclables into landfill. Landfill sites must be approved by legal authorities. Legal authorities guarantee that specific wastes are buried at the correct depth to avoid hazardous chemicals entering the soil, water tables, water systems, air, and pipe systems.
In this step the raw materials made from recyclables are produced and sold as products on the market. Companies can purchase such products to further sustain the environment and natural resources.
In conclusion, waste management is a science that addresses the logistics, environmental impact, social responsibility, and cost of an organization’s waste disposal. It is a detailed process that involves human resources, vehicles, government bodies, and natural resources.
Learn more about waste management by contacting Be Seen Go Green.
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Business Energy Management Solutions
Energy costs represent one of the biggest slices in the expenditures pie of any given business, be it small, medium or large sized companies, a well planed energy management plan can help save money and reduce end costs.
With that mindset, the objective of this article is highlight energy management solutions that can help businesses save thousands of pounds and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.
First step is to choose the right energy supplier, one that offers an energy contract that will best suit your business needs. As the UK energy market grows more complex, the independent advice offered by energy brokers and consultants can help you choose the right energy supplier. The catch here is to find an energy consultancy firm rather than trying to do the job in-house.
A ‘fresh pair of eyes’, with relevant experience of achieving tangible results in other organisations, can often uncover areas for significant improvement that may not have been previously identified.
With climate change concerns, oil prices on the raise and increasing government support, incentives and commercialization, renewable energy prices are falling year after year, despite the fact that renewable energy technologies are sometimes criticised for being unreliable or unsightly, the market is growing strong.
Right now in the UK there are a wide range of green energy suppliers offering a comprehensive portfolio of green energy products, which are both audited and certificated, that can help your business saving money and reduce its carbon footprint.
After choosing the ideal energy supplier, a business needs an advance metering system that provides accurate information on the amount of electricity being used.
Smart meters can do just that and even more, smart meters enable costumers to choose flexible electricity tariffs over set periods as well as improve accuracy of forecasting energy demand at different time of the day.
Conserving energy is important, not only because it saves you money, but because it will have a real impact on the environment.
To meet the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and Climate Chance Agreements the government has launched the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), the UK’s first mandatory carbon trading scheme, with the aim of reducing he level of carbon emissions currently produced by the larger ‘low energy-intensive’ organisations by approximately 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2020.
While the scheme officially started 1stl April 2010, many organisations will need to make preparations now, or face very severe fines.
As an incentive to install AMR meters, and in recognition for good energy management undertaken prior to the start of the CRC scheme, there is a mechanism called the Early Action Metric which rewards participants who install voluntary half hourly electricity AMR and gas AMR by 31st March 2010.
In addition to this, another Early Action Metric is to obtain the Carbon Trust Standard certifications which will also rewards participants who obtain this standard by 31st March 2011.
The term Wholesale Energy Purchasing is a term well known to big corporations that consume at least 50GWh per annun. But by combining the energy consumption of a number of business in a portfolio arrangement, called the energy basket, whole energy purchasing has become a really to small and mid-sized business across the country.
How does it Work?
Again you will need the help of an energy consultancy firm. The Energy Consultancy firm will add your company to these so called energy baskets, this portfolio of companies can then trade as a national company allowing it to trade these combined commercial energy requirements as a commodity in the wholesale market, bringing the advantages of the wholesale market to much smaller organisations
Who Needs Enterprise Carbon And Energy Management Systems?
Survey results state that 83% of IT professionals across the globe had no plans yet to initiate systems for carbon management in their respective organizations. This implies the need for enterprise energy and carbon management systems as such will be the backbone of corporations around the world in less than 5 years.
As society insists that the business world becomes more accountable for its energy use and consequent carbon emissions, organizations will need to transition from an ad hoc approach to the collection and dissemination of information, to an integrated and visible policy-based position, fundamental to the core of the organization itself. Such a major change in thinking will require the adoption of enterprise carbon and energy management systems, similar to Verisae’s Sustainability Resource Planning suite of products.
While certain types of industry may be more aware of such a regimented approach to the issue of energy management and carbon emissions, including oil and gas, utilities and process manufacturers, other brands and certain areas of the public sector are becoming more visible as they adopt the concept.
In other words, being visible and adopting a carbon footprint is considered ‘good PR’. Forward thinking companies are investing in enterprise energy and carbon management systems voluntarily. Within the public sector, executive mandates are beginning to enforce compliance, as witnessed by the recent order (EO 13514) signed by Pres. Obama covering federal agency sustainability.
Government interventions in climate change problems compels larger consumers of energy and emitters to do carbon trading with the CRC Energy Efficiency scheme, which is already notable in the UK.
These organizations must adopt enterprise carbon and energy management systems so they become fully aware of their defined carbon inventories, asset performance characteristics and before they are able to trade with any certainty. Failure to perform or understand one’s corporate position could lead to being in a competitive disadvantage, risking paying heavy fines and reduced reputation.
Advance of any such legislation in the United States, organizations that are innovative, wish to lead by example and carve out a positive reputation should consider enterprise carbon and energy management systems immediately. To avoid ‘greenwashing’, corporations must be cautious as it is in essence an accusation of a corporation’s jump onto a PR bandwagon.
A well thought out and comprehensive approach to the issue of energy management, asset management and emissions reporting is an essential prerequisite to the goal of total sustainability.
Posted in CRC | Tags: Carbon Accounting, Energy, Enterprise, Management, needs, Systems | No Comments »
Going Green Is Not Just For Big Business-You Can Grow Profits, Too!
The world of big business is making daily headlines by “going green” after discovering that what’s good for the planet is also proving good for business.
IBM recently announced “Project Big Green,” a $1 billion initiative to reduce energy consumption by offering new lines of energy-efficient IT products.
Wal-Mart is adding solar power to more than 20 stores.
PepsiCo is buying renewable energy certificates to offset its carbon footprint. Even major banks and energy firms are being asked by shareholders to prove that they, too, are going green.
It’s not just the biggest businesses that are attracting new customers and shareholders and reaping huge profits by “going green.” Small businesses also are growing eco-profits by embracing surprisingly inexpensive strategies to add value to their products, services and brand.
Consider these innovative examples:
- Bob Smith of Mad River Brewing Company in Blue Lake, California, has attracted positive publicity (and new customers) by promoting his efforts to reduce his small firm’s waste output and take other environmentally conscious steps. In turn, he has received welcome positive publicity from the press. “What PR budget? That is our PR budget,” he told the Albuquerque Tribune about “going green” to market his business.
- In Florida, Natalie Kelly formed Home Therapy Cleaning Services, which uses only nontoxic, all-natural cleaning products for her home cleaning business. She used to sell aromatherapy candles from her home, she told the St. Petersburg Times, but today uses an aromatherapy baking soda blend to freshen carpets.
Here’s what you can do:
- Two inexpensive ways any small business or solo entrepreneur can go green are to change light bulbs to energy-efficient bulbs and use biodegradable cleaning products.
- With that done, tell your customers and the media about these simple ways to go green. You will have just earned instant credibility as a green business, and also as a media resource for simple, effective ways to “go green.”
- Many communities online and offline are forming networks to exchange energy-saving ideas for home and business. Form your own energy network, enlisting neighborhood businesses that will welcome another opportunity to show they’re going green, too. The plus for you is that you will have just positioned yourself and your business as a community environmental leader.
-Write a “green” article on simple ways you are going green and submit it to one of the dozens of “green” Web sites and blogs that invite reader contributions. It’s a great way to market your smart ideas and your business!
Posted in Carbon accounting, carbon emissions, Carbon footprint, Carbon management, carbon reduction, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change, CO2, CRC, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, CSR, Environmental accounting, Footprint, ghg emissions, Glasgow CRC, Green IT, London CRC, Social Enterprise, Social Responsibility, UK CRC | Tags: Business, BusinessYou, carbon reduction, Change, Climate, Emissions, Enterprise, Environment, ENVIRONMENTAL, Footprint, Going, Green, Greenhouse, Grow, Just, Management, Profits | No Comments »