The FSB is seeking case studies of businesses demonstrating energy efficiency and environmental awareness in the workplace. See some examples below and submit your own good or bad experiences.
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 Mike Graham's consultancy business, UK Value Management, made three low cost investments which reduced emissions by over 40 per cent and paid for themselves over just a few months. |
| He added insulation to the office in Stirling, Scotland, which reduced heating bills by 25 per cent and boosted productivity amongst staff; Reduced fuel bills by 50 per cent by purchasing vehicles with the lowest emission possible for the market; Assessed how much power their IT system consumes and replaced it with a lower energy kit |
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House-builder Larkfleet strives to minimise waste and use of energy on all its construction sites. |
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Over 80 per cent of site waste is sent for recycling and it has built habitats for newts and insects during projects. The company is part of a consortium which has won a share of a £4 million fund from the Technology Strategy Board to help finance research into a green building material and construction method. |
 The Energy Saving Company won a 2009 Green Apple Award. It works with British Gas to meet with business owners and discuss how they can reduce their reliance on energy, be carbon efficient and in the process reduce costs and save money. |
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 Future Water Ltd helps organisations reduce energy and chemical consumption in their water. |
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The business provides a system which generates viable chemicals that kill bacteria like legionella which causes Legionnaires' disease. While normally this requires the addition of chemicals, this system is performed through the electrolysis of a weak brine solution. Managing Director Chris Hanlon says the two-and- a-half-year old business is looking to grow and is already taking on more staff. |
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Stephen Fricker's business, Gas Power UK Ltd, works with companies in the South West of England to convert their vehicles so they can be more efficient by running on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and other gasses. |
| This benefits the fuel efficiency of the engine but also reduces the production of soot and un-burnt hydrocarbons that are emitted. |
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 Mason Photography uses electricity from renewable sources and recycles all office waste. Staff use the train where possible, and arrange meetings and consultations back to back, to make the most of the journey.
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Business owner Jeremy Mason does face some issues in trying to go green such as accessing advice on being environmentally friendly and the cost of disposal of electrical waste,
"As a small business we don't have the funds to pay over £100 a time to get a contractor to come and collect what would be a relatively small amount – there needs to be more done to tell businesses like ours what to do – can we use the local recycling centres? I would be very happy to recycle everything if the facilities existed – it is the cornerstone of sustainability, and as such those in power should make it a priority," he said. |
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 JCR Networks was started by Jason Reece in September 2008 to provide business support services for local firms in South-East Wales.
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| The business supplies a fuel saving device for vehicles called Lowgas. It increases the amount of energy used per volume of fuel and can save up to 15 per cent of petrol costs while reducing CO2 emissions. They also work with the Energy Saving Company to provide environmental audits for businesses. |
 Environmental consultancy Samian Solutions has implemented a green ISO 14001 standard. |
| All office equipment is purchased locally in Essex and the business encourages car sharing and cycling to work. |
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 Gavin Darby's Frailloop business creates sculptures from scrap steel and recycled materials. The bulk of the raw material is sourced from the skip of a local agricultural engineering company, with their permission.
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| Mechanics supply him with broken coil springs. He uses an LPG van to collect metal and deliver stock to galleries around the UK. |
 Herbert Eppel's technical translation service focuses particularly on renewable energy, the environment and sustainable development. He saves on transport and energy costs by working from home and using sub-contractors who do the same.
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 The Exmoor House hotel, in Somerset, was the first accommodation on Exmoor to win a Green Tourism Gold award (in 2010). Owner Rosi Davis minimises electricity, gas and water usage by taking regular meter readings and installing an electricity monitor.
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She has topped up the loft insulation, improved the draft proofing and installed reflective panels behind radiators. Toiletries such as soap and shampoo are supplied in refillable containers and all food and materials are sourced locally. Waste paper is used as logs for the fire and air fresheners are made using essential oils rather than
sprays
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