28 May 2018

An online resource which works with businesses to save money and improve their ‘green credentials’ has been re-launched by Green Business Ireland. www.greenbusiness.ie offers practical supports to businesses and organisations to help them reduce waste and their carbon footprint. www.greenbusiness.ie also shares case studies from companies who have experienced big savings through making simple, “No Cost” and “Low Cost” changes.

“Green Business has been a fantastic resource for business over the last 11 years,” said James Hogan, Programme Manager with Green Business, “and since then we’ve helped hundreds of companies save thousands of euro, while ensuring they improve their resource efficiency. We’ve now developed our website to provide further assistance though our online tool and to share with the business community how easy and beneficial it is to go green!”

Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the National Waste Prevention Programme, Green Business works closely with organisations to create a tailor-made action plan that guides them through the process of making substantive resource efficiency improvements and cost savings, through waste prevention and reductions in water and energy consumption.

Among the organisations that have worked with Green Business are AIB and RTÉ who have both adopted initiatives to eliminate the use of single use coffee cups and single use plastic items and encourage staff members to consider more sustainable options.

RTÉ’s approach to waste management earned them “Overall Winner” of the Pakman Awards in 2017. “RTÉ's partnership with Green Business over many years, along with a commitment to becoming a sustainable organisation, has seen RTÉ receive widespread industry recognition” said Eileen Duggan, from RTE. “One of our recent initiatives has been the introduction of compostable cups across our site. RTÉ is currently operating a phased programme for the reduction of single use and the elimination of plastic from our restaurant operations. This will be completed in the coming weeks. Hundreds of a specially branded keep cup have been sold with profits going to Focus Ireland.”

AIB headquarters is also leading the way on eliminating non-recyclable coffee cups and plastic disposables from its operations. Karen Coyle, Energy & Environmental Manager at AIB stated that “AIB will eliminate single use disposable plastics from our catering operations by September 2018. This will eliminate one million plastic glasses and two million coffee cups from our waste streams”.

Michael Lennon, President of the IHF, who was present at the launch of the new Green Business website said “I will be encouraging all IHF members to avail of the free supports available of the Green Business website, especially the on line tool for SME Efficiency And Cost Reduction Questionnaire, which offers business a quick assessment of their resource efficiency” http://greenbusiness.ie/sme-efficiency-and-cost-reduction-questionnaire/ For more information on how your company can benefit from Green Business, visit www.greenbusiness.ie