One company’s waste is another’s good fortune, initiative shows

BUSINESSES across the region will be able to reduce their environmental impact and cut costs thanks to a raft of initiatives including the launch of an internet waste exchange network.

Why Waste, which has been funded by CO2Sense Yorkshire, is a free online service allowing firms to offer items and materials no longer needed to other organisations for reuse or recycling.

Users who have already benefitted include Leeds City College, which saved £2,000 when looking to find a new home for waste desks.

A total of 70 desks were given to social enterprise Rework Leeds while 15 chairs were donated to a local primary school.

When the college merged with another institution in last year Why Waste found new homes for unwanted branded items such as vinyl banners, t-shirts, bags and pens.

They were put to new use by the Leeds second-hand store Scrap Creative Reuse.

Georgiana Weatherill, Leeds City College environmental manager, said: “Since developing the college’s environmental strategy in 2007 the Why Waste service has been invaluable and certainly the best partnership I have made in my career as an environmental manager.”

Why Waste can also visit sites to help organisations find the best way to deal with their individual waste issues.

Christine Charles, regional business development programme manager of CO2Sense Yorkshire, said: “The scheme has already diverted over 2,000 tonnes of waste from landfill by finding new homes for unwanted items and helping businesses to recycle their waste effectively.

“The service covers everything from waste paper to furniture and will help Yorkshire to become a low carbon economy.”

CO2Sense Yorkshire is also helping to introduce buyers to suppliers of sustainable products and services and to learn how to improve supply chain sustainability by holding a special event.

More than 75 green supplier are expected to attend the Northern Sourcing Sustainable Solutions event at the Queens Hotel in Leeds on April 29.

The free event is aimed at buyers in the public and private sectors as well as regional manufacturers and suppliers of green products and services.

Manufacturers and suppliers will be invited to take part in a three-hour briefing to be held two weeks beforehand to help them maximise the new business opportunities of the event.

At the event suppliers will have private, pre-scheduled 15-minute meetings with individual buyers to promote their products and services.

Lorna Peacock, CO2Sense Yorkshire project manager, said that the aim was to generate around £500,000 in new sales of sustainable products and services over the next 12 months.

Three similar events held over the past 12 months in other regions generated over £2million of new business for attending suppliers.

For more information email kavita@actionsustainability.com. To find out more about Why Waste visit www.whywaste.org.uk.