The GBN offers a free service to Kirklees businesses to help them reduce pollution, comply with environmental legislation, reduce their impact on the environment and save money.
The following free services are available to Kirklees businesses:
1. Free Environmental Audits
The environmental audit is an initial environmental review looking at all aspects of business impacts on the environment, or it can be tailored to your individual business requirements; for example an energy or waste audit. In every area of the audit we will not only try and reduce the environmental impact of your business, but we will also try and save you money, through simple low cost suggestions.
This can be through advice on:
• Pollution prevention – helping your business to save
money through avoiding prosecution
Or through advice on reducing the cost of:
• Waste Management
• Water
• Transport
• Energy use – for example through reducing heating
lighting, machinery and compressed air costs.
The audit can also provide information on:
• Green purchasing
• Training requirements.
After a tour of the premises, and discussions with key staff, a free environmental audit report will be produced with suggestions to help the business can save money, reduce its environmental impact and possible environmental legislation requirements.
2. Free Environmental Toolkits
The environmental toolkits consist of:
• A list of 20 low cost, easy to implement suggestions to get
businesses started.
• Information about any financial help available.
• Details of the main current environmental legislation.
• Where to go for further help and advice.
• Details of local recyclers.
Environmental Toolkits are available for the following business sectors:
• Manufacturing
• Office based
• Hospitality (hotels, pubs, restaurants, etc.)
• Retailers
• Care Homes
Please contact us if you would like a copy.
3. Free help to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS)
The Kirklees EMS Group is a a network of businesses looking to implement an Environmental Management System such as ISO14001 or EMAS. The aim of the group is to share best practice and to provide free support and guidance to achieve an accredited EMS. The network has three meetings a year with guest speakers who provide free training and guidance.
We also work with businesses on a 1:1 basis to guide them through the implementation process. Businesses also have free access to the systems and templates developed by Kirklees Council in implementing their award winning Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) system.
4. Free Carbon Footprinting service
We also provide a carbon footprinting service to Kirklees companies.
Carbon footprinting is very useful as a Corporate Social Responsibility tool to showcase your commitment to the environment to stakeholders. It is also a very useful way of benchmarking where your company is at to help you measure improvements.
5. Environmental databases
The GBN already has developed an extensive database of recyclers for the local area including the following materials:
Chemicals, Drums, Electronic/Electrical, Flourescent tubes, Glass, Organic waste, Metal, Paper/cardbard, Plastics and Wood.
The GBN is also developing databases of local suppliers of ‘green’ services: Water saving devices, Pollution prevention, Biomass, Biodiesel, Renewable Energy, Green Building products, Cleaning products, Energy management, Compressed air and Lighting.
Please contact us if you are interested in receiving a free copy of the relevant database.
This list of services is not prescriptive, and we are very much open to suggestions from businesses as to what free help we can offer to your business.
If you are interested in any of our services and would like to know more, please contact Jim Porter, Environmental Business Advisor on 01422 316661 or jim.porter@kirklees.gov.uk
