Good Advice for Businesses

We hosted a very successful meeting of businesses who have shown an interest in a Selwyn Responsible Business Network in Rolleston on the last day of October.

People from local businesses were invited to a social occasion and treated to two high calibre presentations which examined concepts of sustainable practices relating to Power Use and Waste Management. Many of the ideas discussed looked at the cost cutting possibilities that result from adopting more sustainable practices, while others emphasised general environmental concerns.

Richard Briggs the Programme Partnership Manager of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) surprised the audience with the statistic that businesses typically waste up to 20% of the energy they use; most solutions to this problem are low or no cost solutions which look to making current processes more efficient before looking at any replacement of infrastructure.

He strongly suggested that businesses should start looking at the possibilities of making savings by undertaking an energy audit to really assess how much power is being used and where. Details of funding bodies that could help with long term solutions were also shared.

The second presentation by Andrew Boyd the Waste and Recycling Manager at Selwyn District Council gave some real insight into the recycling situation around the world and its impact on Selwyn. He explained how the old model of using resources to produce the things we need, and then discarding them as waste, cannot be sustained.

The concept of the Circular Economy whereby resources are used in production and then reused was examined with numerous examples cited. Andrew also advised on good recycling habits and gave an insight into the difficulties of the processes.

The evening was an enjoyable occasion and people took plenty of useful information away with them.

We would like to thank the Selwyn District Council for supporting this initiative.

Click the link for more information about the network and to join the conversation –  Selwyn Responsible Business Network