Business Responsibilities
As a business, you have a legal responsibility regarding the impact that your operations have on the environment; at a very basic level it is up to you to make sure that your business waste is disposed of or treated according to the law. This section of Reduce The Use will outline your responsibilities as a business and outline the benefits that going green can have on all parties.
There are many benefits that your business can have by adopting environmental and sustainable operations. Here are just a few:
- Reducing your energy use can save your business money.
- Reducing your water use can cut down on water bills and lower your waste disposal costs.
- Recycling old office equipment may be able to make you scrap money and save on disposal costs.
- By respecting laws and making steps towards greener business operations you can reduce the risk of incurring costs or fines for breaking any environmental laws.
Your Duty of Care
Anyone who carries, disposes of, imports, keeps, produces or treats Waste is subject to a Duty of Care and must take all reasonable and applicable measures to:
- prevent another person illegally treating, keeping, depositing or otherwise disposing of waste
- prevent the escape of waste
- ensure that transfer of the waste only occurs to an Authorised Person and that the transfer is accompanied by a written description of the Waste
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Your Business Waste
In January 2005, the Agency stated that, if businesses exported electrical and electronic waste, they must comply with legislation or risk prosecution as it is stepping up activity to identify illegal exporters. It is assumed that, as a result of the Landfill Directive (that stopped the co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste), the export of hazardous waste has increased. It is illegal to send any hazardous waste, including hazardous electrical or electronic waste, to a non-OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) country for disposal or recovery.
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Your Business Energy Use
- Switch off any equipment that is not going to be used for fifteen minutes
- Look at efficient use of energy, especially electricity
Lighting can account for up to 50% of the electricity costs in an office! Does the light need to be on? Is there sufficient daylight? If so, switch off and save!
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Your Business Transport
Most small businesses rely on transport – car, van, truck or motorcycle. They all have one thing in common – they use fuel- and petrol and diesel get more expensive. In the UK, road transport is responsible for 24% of carbon dioxide emissions, 80% of carbon monoxide and 40% of nitrous oxides; these gases affect local air quality and are a major contributor to the greenhouse gases that cause Global Warming.
Read more about Business Transport