Going green and your small business

"Going green is a truism demanded by consumers, where the reality is often a little more complex. I work with a lot of manufacturers - small and large businesses - and the aim of all of them is to keep pushing forwards on their journey of improvement, but it does require taking iterative steps. With the recent revelations by the ONS that households are the greatest source of food waste, fossil fuel usage and that there are still less than half of households recycling, consumers often hold manufacturers to higher account than they are prepared to take responsibility for themselves. It is absolutely right we should all go greener, and manufacturers need to step up to the plate on this. It is also true that this all costs money that often needs absorbing into a fixed product price. Consumers are quick to dismiss any improvements as 'green washing' which can leave businesses in a reputational situation of you are damned if you do, and are damned if you don't. So it's a tricky line to tread that is felt very keenly by smaller businesses."

"Initially, we were nervous at the prospect of having to "tick boxes" to become Carbon Neutral as this just added to the many "box ticking" schemes we were being asked or advised to spend money on simply to be considered as a supplier. It just isn't practical for micro businesses to have all the certification deemed necessary. However, as we are working with innovative, sustainable products we've looked into the costs associated with becoming Carbon Neutral and have decided that this is a "Must Have". It's more important that the Government stick by these policies and requirements when their own departments procure products. The NHS, for example, uses miles of PVC for upholstery when there are more sustainable and technically advanced products available."

"My small business has been built to be environmentally aware. Birds Can Fly is nature-themed, so I couldn’t, with good conscience, do anything else. From the beginning I put planet over profit. I make less money and this is perhaps why I will remain small. Large corporations expand because they focus on profit, and this has to change. The consumer is becoming more aware of so-called ‘green washing’, so authenticity is key for the large companies that are being encouraged to put the earth over earnings."

"Knowing the current government they'll likely come up with a target to hit then wash their hands when it comes to implementation. Look at the botched green homes grant scheme, which turned out to be a total shambles, helping just 7% of the intended 600,000 properties. We all know that going carbon neutral is important but people and businesses alike need support and direction to get there. It still niggles that the Government found £37bn for a failed test and trace system but struggles to actually back doing something to combat global warming, which is the great existential threat of our time. Here's a wacky idea: Let businesses offset work that they undertake to go carbon neutral against their business rate bill. All of a sudden we'll be falling over ourselves to do our bit."