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Isle of Man residents give up plastic bags for lent challenge

Have you ever wondered how you'd cope without plastic bags? We get handed so many of them nowadays that many people take them for granted and don't stop to think about the impact they have on the environment.

However, residents on the Isle of Man recently got a taste of what life would be like without any plastic bags after giving them up for Lent as part of a campaign by Zero Waste Mann.

While most people give up chocolate, alcohol or other 'treat' foods and drinks for Lent, Zero Waste Mann wanted to use the 40 day period to encourage people to rethink their plastic bag habits and show retailers that there are alternatives to handing out disposable bag after disposable bag.

"By taking a grassroots approach," a spokesperson from the group told IsleofMan.com: "We're hopefully putting out the message that as individuals, we can all do something about waste without waiting for the government to tell us.

"Giving up plastic bags may seem like a small thing but if everybody on the Island just avoids one plastic bag per week, that adds up to a large number."

In order to encourage people to take part in the scheme, members of the group were on hand to give people advice and guidance about the alternatives which could be used and also handed out free eco-friendly cotton bags so that people had something to use as an alternative.

The campaign was inspired by some startling statistics about plastic bag use, with data showing that EU consumers work their way through 800,000 tonnes of disposable carriers annually, the vast majority of which will end up in landfill sites.

Lent may be over but that is no reason why people can't follow in the Isle of Man residents' footsteps – just arm yourself with an eco-friendly bag next time you head out to the shops.
 

Large Number of Island Residents take up Zero Waste Mann's Lent Challenge, Isleofman.com

Queen of the eco-friendly cotton bags wins award

We've always thought that eco-friendly cotton bags were cool however one woman has helped thousands of others come round to our way of thinking – Anya Hindmarch.

The fashion designer's 'I'm not a plastic bag' bags were snapped up by fashionistas and made the idea of carrying a cotton bag rather a load of plastic ones very appealing.

And now Ms Hindmarch's efforts have been recognised as she is named businesswoman of the year by Veuve Clicquot.
As well as doing her bit for the environment with her designs, Anya is also doing her bit for the next generation by becoming a UK Trade Ambassador – what an inspiration!

Christina Jesaitis, senior brand manager of Veuve Clicquot, said: "We are delighted that the judges have selected a winner who fully embraces the spirit of the award and can provide inspiration for the next generation of female entrepreneurs in the UK.

"In a year that British fashion has never been under the spotlight more, Anya has proven that commercial triumph alongside pursuing a responsible business is more than achievable and it is wonderful to see such a shining example of business success."

Fashion guru behind 'I'm Not A Plastic Bag' Anya Hindmarch is named businesswoman of the year, Daily Mail

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Tea the national drink of India

In Blighty we are always getting out our promotional mugs for a good old brew and the same seems to be true of India where tea is being declared the national drink.

Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said that the hot beverage will be made the national drink to celebrate the life of a pioneering tea-planter who was hanged by British colonial rulers for his role in a rebellion.

"The drink would be accorded national drink status by April 17th next year to coincide with the 212th birth anniversary of first Assamese tea-planter and Sepoy Mutiny leader Maniram Dewan," Ahluwalia said.

By naming tea the national beverage the nation also recognises its rich tea growing history.

In India tea is drunk in much the same way it is here – with milk and plenty of sugar. However, some people opt to flavour theirs with spicy cardamom.

We think we'll have a well-earned cup of tea to help celebrate the news. It would be rude not too!

Tea to be declared India's national drink, New York Daily News, April 22nd

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Levy cuts carrier use 90 per cent in Wales

Carrier bag usage in Wales has dropped by a massive 90 per cent in some retailers since the levy for plastic bags was introduced six months ago, with more people opting to use eco-friendly printed bags and other reusable options.

Figures obtained by the BBC show that since the 5p charge was introduced, Sainsbury's has seen bag usage drop 90 per cent while Co-op and Morrisons have seen reductions of 86 per cent and 60 per cent respectively.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury's told the news provider: "The scheme is working well and has clear benefits both for the environment and for charities.

"Over the last three months we've seen a drop of around 90 per cent in the use of single use bags in our Welsh stores."

Given the success of the levy in Wales it is likely that other parts of the UK may follow in its footsteps and introduce a charge.

Northern Ireland will introduce a similar scheme from April next year.

Carrier bag charge Supermarkets say use in Wales cut up to 90%, BBC News

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Eco News: National Give & Gain Day

	What better way to live your eco values and demonstrate sustainable credentials while getting involved in your local community and ‘recycling’ your time and skills than to adopt and encourage a corporate volunteering programme within your organisation? And, if you want a cost-effective way to create that ‘feel good’ factor amongst your team, look no further than a corporate volunteering scheme, says Gennie Franklin, director of the employee volunteering campaign at Business in the Community (BITC). As one of The Prince’s Charities, BITC is a business-led charity focused on promoting responsible business. Whilst they concede that many businesses initially start volunteering programmes simply because they ‘feel it’s the right thing to do’, they very quickly come to realise the solid business reasons that create a winning environment all round. Here are just 5 key reasons to start your corporate volunteering scheme today: 1. Employee Recruitment 2. Brand Development 3. Reputation Management 4. Achieving Business Objectives 5. Team Building and Engagement In a survey published recently by BITC, of the 20,000 volunteers they spoke to 95% felt that voluntary involvement in their community, with the active support and encouragement of their employer, was the right thing for them to be doing. A sense of belonging and putting something back into creating and maintaining a strong community for employees to live and work is ranked highly by graduates looking for employment. The great thing about an employee volunteering programme is that it can help to achieve many of the organisation’s business aims and strategic objectives. For example, it enables people to develop personally and take on challenges that might not be possible within their current job description but essential for their on-going growth and future within the firm. Participations boosts morale, builds team bonds within different sectors of an organisation and can improve your corporate profile within the community. According to the BITC, companies can also benefit from reduced training costs in situations when they use employees volunteering opportunities in lieu of more formalised employee training, or are using programmes such as Work Inclusion initiatives, whereby a disadvantaged person is guaranteed time on a work placement scheme, as an alternative, low cost, way of training potential new employees. Companies with strategic community investment take time to understand the needs of their communities. This customer insight has led many companies to expand their markets, improve their products and meet changing customer expectations. Through developing commercially viable products and services that directly address community needs, many businesses have been able to enter a previously untapped market. Companies that can demonstrate strong values and commitment to their communities are also able to differentiate themselves in increasingly competitive markets. Many companies report that being able to demonstrate their commitment to local communities has improved their credentials when tendering for commercial contracts. Once the case has been made, and you are committed to starting a volunteering programme, where do you begin? Begin with your objectives. Although we’ve pointed out a variety of major benefits to your organisation, think first about your main objective. Is it staff retention, personal development within the team, team-building, or raising your media presence and profile? Then choose an activity. There’s no single answer but experience suggests that the more choices you offer, the more likely staff are to get involved. Opportunities could range from reading with local school children once a week, to transforming a patch of derelict land into a community garden or working allotment. You might have a company minibus that could be put to good use during the day to ferry disadvantaged youngsters or elderly people on a trip to the countryside. Take a look around your area to see what might be needed – and remember to ask your staff. The chances are that many of them are already aware of schemes that could use your corporate help. Make sure you allocate resources to make your programme successful. Ensure everyone knows about the programme for example place a printed roller banner in your reception or canteen and hand out printed giveaways such as balloons or message bugs to create awareness. You could also provide participants with printed T-Shirts if appropriate. Additionally, you’ll need to ensure that all the relevant safety checks have been done and that your team are properly equipped and trained to undertake their chosen project. Some organisations encourage their staff to use existing professional skills, such as legal or accountancy advice but remember that not all staff are going to want to carry their day job into their volunteering, with many preferring to do something ‘completely different’. And if you need a boost to get you started the BITC’s excellent website has plenty of resources to kick start your programme, including details of their annual Give & Gain Day which this year will be held on 18th May 2012. What better time to join together and give something back to the communities around you to create a real ‘win-win’.

Eco News: What a Difference a Decade Can Make!

	The year 2001 was significant for a number of notable events such as 9/11, the launch of Wikipedia and the invasion of Afghanistan. It was also the year that, according to environment writer and Green Party candidate Chris Goodall the UK’s consumption of ‘stuff’ not only reached its peak but began to decline. By ‘stuff’ we mean everything we use from food and fuel to flat pack furniture. In an article written by Duncan Clark and published in The Guardian in November last year, Goodall says: “One thing that’s remarkable is the sheer speed with which our resource use has crashed since the recession. In the space of a couple of years, we’ve dropped back to the second lowest level since we started keeping track in 1970. And although the figures aren’t yet available for 2010 and 2011, it seems highly likely that we are now using fewer materials than at any time on record.” The last few years has seen a revolution in terms of shopping habits, or more particularly in how people carry their purchases home. Gone are the days when supermarkets handed out free carrier bags by the thousand, to be replaced by Bags for Life, reusable cotton shopping bags and biodegradable carrier bags. Even though the UK economy was still growing rapidly in the early part of the new millennium, Goodall discovered that consumption had started to drop. He made this fascinating find trawling through the Material Flow Accounts published by the Office of National Statistics while writing a research paper on the UK’s consumption of resources. The first to decline was the amount of paper and cardboard we use, followed by a fall in our use of what is termed ‘primary energy’ – heat and power generated by fossil fuels and other energy sources. The trend has continued annually: 2001 – paper and cardboard 2002 – primary energy 2003 – household waste generated per person, meat consumption 2004 – new car purchases and water consumption 2005 – household energy consumption 2006 – the use of roads and railways Perhaps counter intuitively all of this ‘decline’ was taking place while the UK’s population and GDP were rising. What some readers may find hard to believe is that even our food intake is falling. Despite the widely reported increase in obesity levels, the total number of calories consumed by the great British public has actually fallen. And good news for the vegetarians out there – even our consumption of meat has been falling since 2003. This is one area where our American counterparts match us with meat consumption in the United States declining steadily over the last few years. But even if the UK has started consuming fewer resources – it’s hardly going to save the planet. Carbon emissions are rising globally, rainforests are shrinking and entire species are disappearing. Goodall acknowledges this. “I don’t want to suggest that the world isn’t facing massive environmental challenges. But the data I found does suggest the possibility – and it is only a possibility – that economic growth is not necessarily incompatible with addressing these challenges. Savvy marketing professionals across all industry sectors have switched onto the business, as well as environmental, benefits of choosing eco-friendly promotional products and stationery items. He concludes: “It is a trivial example perhaps but economic growth, and the innovation that comes with it, have given us e-readers such as the Kindle, a way of allowing us to read books without the high-energy consumption required to make paper. Digital goods generally have lower environmental impact than physical equivalents and if growth speeds up the process of ‘dematerialisation’, it has positive – not negative – environmental effects.” Material for this article has been taken from: www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/31/consumption-of-goods-falling www.carboncommentary.com/2011/10/31/2123

How can businesses use promotional products to drive environmental initiatives?

Green initiatives are becoming an increasingly important part of the business world. As firms look to cut costs and contribute to the green agenda, they're increasingly looking at things like more recycling and reducing power use.

If you're looking to roll out a recycling scheme or encourage your staff to be that bit more green-aware, have a think about how promotional merchandise could help you do just that.

Here's a few ideas to get you started:

Being environmentally friendly is an increasingly important part of the business agenda.

Whether it's rolling out a company-wide recycling scheme or simply encouraging your staff to keep the lights turned off and power down their computers on the weekend, firms are increasingly doing their bit, no matter how large or small that bit is.

It all makes sense – it saves money and is good for the environment. But how to convince or inspire your workforce that it really is a good idea?

One way is to use some kind of tangible 'reward' – a really good way, we think, to encourage uptake of green practices.

It could be something like a monthly 'recycling champion' award – where the person judged to have done the most to help your green efforts is rewarded with a company prize – like a hamper or personalised pen.

You could ask colleagues to vote for the person they think has done the most that month.

You could even implement something like a 'champagne moment' – an ad-hoc, spontaneous prize for when someone comes up with a great new idea for a fantastic green initiative you think will really work.

In this way, promotional products can help inspire behavioural change and secure employee engagement with your green concept.

For something more long-term, promotional merchandise can also help you.

Let's say you're implementing an in-house recycling scheme, and you'll be asking staff to ensure waste – plastics, paper, cardboard etc– is deposited in the appropriate bins.

Depending on the size of your company, you'll want to approach this in different ways.

For a small firm, it could be as team 'huddle' in which you get together for a few minutes to go over the details of the scheme. For a larger company with a big workforce, you might want to dedicate a proper training workshop to educate staff about the new initiative.

However you choose to approach it, promotional items come in handy here again. It could be something like providing attendees with recycled notebooks branded with a green message or slogan. How about a quiz at the end of the training session in which staff are given printed pens to fill out their answers?

For other initiatives promotional products are really useful also. Let's say you're wanting to cut down on the amount of paper that gets printed in the office – how about some printed USB sticks or promotional mugs with a green message on them? You could distribute a few to each desk or team.

Most people want to take up green practices, doing their bit for the environment. But some people just need a little push. By giving your staff something they can use time after time – promotional products – you'll keep the idea at the forefront of their minds.

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Welsh government targets 50 per cent recycling in 2012

Eco-themed promotional products could help councils in Wales achieve an ambitious recycling target this year.

John Griffiths, the country's environment minister, has announced a target of recycling at least 50 per cent of waste in 2012.

Wales has an impressive recycling record – with rates rising from seven per cent in 2000-01 to 48 per cent between April and June 2011.

But Mr Griffiths warned there is "long way to go" to meet the government's target of 70 per cent recycling by 2025, adding that increased food waste recycling is needed – putting the onus on authorities to think about what marketing strategies they employ to drive green awareness – like promotional drawstring bags, for example.

"We must not rest on our laurels," the minister said.

"A bit of extra thought and effort from all of us around how we manage our waste should ensure that 2012 is the year in which recycling in Wales peaks above the significant 50 per cent milestone."

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Use eco merchandise to assure your staff recycling is worth it

Want to really drive a 'green revolution' in the workplace and get your staff to start recycling more?

Well you'll need to do more than just putting a recycling bin in the corner of the office, according to the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro).

With employers becoming more and more focused on environmentally friendly initiatives, recognising both the cost benefits and the good they can do for the planet, recycling programmes are an ever-increasing part of the workplace.

However, the key is to get staff on board and one way to do this is through effective staff communication, which can be bolstered by promotional products.

"It really does need to be supported by a communications program to communicate to the workforce that recycling does make a difference," said Rick Hindley, executive director of Alupro.

"It's all about reassuring people that the materials are recycled into something of value, that it's easy and it's not a task you're doing as a one-off."

There's a whole host of ways promotional items could be employed here – why not reward your star performers with some branded mugs, or give out corporate clothing every time a certain number of things are recycled?

Interview with Alupro, Adfero, Friday November 18th.

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Use promotional bags to reward eco champions

One of the best ways to reward people for their efforts in the community is to use promotional items.

That's clearly the thinking at Derbyshire County Council – the authority recently awarded a promotional bag to the young winner of a recycling competition it ran.

Daniel Freeman from Belper was crowned "recycling royalty" by the council in recognition for his efforts to cut waste in his home town.

When he's out and about, 16-year-old Daniel doesn't put rubbish in general bins but saves it to bring home and recycle – now that's dedication to the cause if ever we saw it.

The teenager was rewarded with some eco promotional gifts in a goody bag – including an eco kettle and battery charger.

Keeping rubbish that could be recycled out of landfill is very important to Derbyshire," said councillor John Allsop.

"Daniel is a worthy winner."

"King of recycling crowned". Derbyshire County Council. November 1st 2011.

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Eco News: Small Businesses Losing Out on Energy Savings

	How fitting that during Energy Saving Week Energy we came across a report on the Click Green website highlighting new research which claims that energy inefficiency could be costing small businesses in the UK an incredible £7.7 billion a year. New data released by E.ON suggests nearly four million of the UK’s 4.8 million small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are potentially missing out on savings of up to £2,000 per year each by not implementing energy efficiency measures, such as lighting timers, smart meters and energy monitors. The results of a survey of around 1,000 UK SMEs found almost nine out of 10 (86%) did not have lighting timers or motion sensors in their workplace, while eight out of 10 (81%) were without energy monitors. A further 13% admitted leaving the windows open when the air conditioning or heating was on. The number that had installed smart meters was higher, however, accounting for 15% of SMEs. The least energy savvy SMEs were found to be in the financial services sector, where 97% claimed to be unaware of the savings that could be achieved through energy efficiency measures. Last week, the Carbon Trust issued new guidance for companies which showed that turning down the heating by just one degree could save UK workplaces £35 million a year alone. Why not run an initiative to encourage greener activities in the workplace, you could give out printed room thermometers or other eco-friendly promotional products to get across your message? For business customers E.ON provides a Business EnergyManager service which, as well as fixed prices, provides a free energy monitor with downloadable software, and an App to help businesses manage their account on the go. Are you running a fleet of up to 100 vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes? Then check out the Energy Saving Trust site and sign up for their monthly Fleet Briefings which have lots of practical help and advice to help you run a more efficient, cost-effective and low-carbon fleet. Each briefing covers a different transport-related topic and is designed to increase your knowledge of best-practice fleet management and provide practical advice. Due to be introduced in 2012, the coalition Government’s Green Deal is aimed at both households and businesses and will enable them at a local level to improve the energy efficiency of their properties without consuming so much energy and wasting money. A quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions come from the energy used in businesses, industry and workplaces, with a similar amount coming from our homes. The Green Deal will offer a range of schemes and products designed to reduce energy use without the consumer having to make an initial capital outlay. Green Deal schemes will instead be funded out of the savings made on energy bills which should make them more attractive to the business user who is not necessarily the owner of their workplace premises. Another way of reducing energy consumption could be to encourage remote working (staff could download work to take home onto promotional USBs) and additionally if desktop PCs were changed to laptops energy could be saved as laptops use a lot less than energy than desktop computers and monitors – approximately 270 watts of energy are used by the computer and monitor, while a laptop consumes less than 50 watts.

Whatever happened to the paperless office?

It was often said that workplaces of the future would be tech utopias where the use of paper would either be entirely eliminated or greatly reduced.

That hasn't quite happened – yet firms are still striving to adopt green initiatives and cut down on their paper usage.

Certainly, the rise of email and, more recently, e-billing, has seen many traditionally paper documents converted into digital form.

But there is still much firms can do in order to go fully paperless.

According to Raz Godelnik, co-founder of green company Ecolibris.net, what's key is to get employees on board.

Businesses could think about providing incentives to employees who try to save paper, he said.

"Many times you see companies that save a lot of money but they save a lot of money because the employees are taking these steps," Mr Godelnik explained.

These savings could be achieved through bonuses or a competition between teams – in which promotional mugs and printed USBs could be handed out as employee rewards.

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Eco initiatives 'boost staff morale'

Employers might want to use corporate gifts to drive green initiatives in the workplace.

According to the founder of Littlegreenblog.com, Mrs Green – a pseudonym – said there are a number of "simple and easy" steps firms can take to introduce efforts to become more environmentally-friendly.

She said the key to the success of green strategies is to make staff the core of the project, inspiring them to feel like a "practical part of the solution".

Rolling-out tasks like organising eco teams to be in charge of particular areas, such as checking lights and computers are turned off and efficient recycling, as well as hosting awareness days – when staff could be 'challenged' to bring in a 'zero-waste lunch', all helps employees feel valued, Mrs Green explained.

Consider using corporate gifts to reward staff for their involvement in your green projects – like printed cotton bags and reusable promotional mugs.

"The gentle exercise of maintaining a small community garden can [also] reap enormous benefits," Mrs Green added.

"By setting up schemes like this, being green is fun rather than another chore," Mrs Green said.

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Have promotional products played a part in Northern Ireland's recycling success?

Local councils in Northern Ireland that may have used promotional items to let communities know about their waste services look to have been successful: recycling and composting rates in the country have risen to record levels.

About 41 per cent of household waste was recycled or decomposed from April to June this year, the Northern Ireland Executive said.

The statistics show a 15 per cent decrease in the amount of biodegradable municipal material being sent to landfill by councils compared with the same period last year.

Increasing awareness of the benefits of recycling is the key way to get more people to go green. Local authorities are at the heart of their communities and many of them run events designed to encourage more take-up of environmentally-friendly methods – at which promotional items can prove useful in getting the message across.

Commenting on the figures, environment minister Alex Attwood said: "We all know that prevention is better than cure so it is particularly encouraging to see a decrease in waste produced by households.

"These changes made by householders and industry together save us all money and help create an environment and society where citizens want to live, work and invest."

"Attwood welcomes highest recycling rates". Northern Ireland Executive. Thursday October 13th 2011.

Posted by Carl Blackshaw

Food waste campaign could inspire use of promotional bags

A London restaurant campaign could encourage other restaurants around the country to use promotional items as part of an effort to cut food waste.

The Sustainable Restaurant Association's (SRA) Too Good To Waste campaign is encouraging restaurants in the capital to offer 'doggy boxes' and convince reluctant diners to ask for something to take their leftover food home in.

Research from the SRA shows that 600,000 tonnes of food waste from restaurants is thrown out every year, most of it filling up landfill space.

But diners are reluctant to ask for a doggy bag – 83 per cent of people polled by the organisation said would like to take leftovers home but don’t think we can or are too embarrassed to ask.

The initiative has proved popular– 80 restaurants, including Michelin-starred Quilon and chains including Wahaca and Leon – have already signed up.

The doggy box, specially created by the SRA in association with 3663 and One Water, comes with green credentials. They are made of 100 per cent recycled and biodegradable materials making them suitable for recycling and composting – all of which minimises the environmental impact.

Other restaurants may well want to mimic the campaign – and promotional bags with their name printed on could really do the trick.

Mark Linehan, managing director of the SRA, added: "Doggy boxes will raise consumer awareness but are only part of the solution. We'll also be helping restaurants think of other ways to cut their waste."

Posted by Carl Blackshaw