Looking to garbage for inspiration...

• Composting and recycling cuts landfill by 99 % and associated costs 
• 8 cedar composting bins divert around 190 kg of organic waste weekly

Cajun Attic, a restaurant in Canada, implemented a management system for the (mainly organic) waste generated on site with the main aim of reducing landfill waste disposal costs, which used to be C$ 3 600 (~€ 2 400) annually.

Companies use water in essential and non-essential processes. It is a valuable natural resource that needs to be used wisely and economically. Monitoring water consumption is critical to identifying areas for improvement. 

Five steps to identify improvements:

Very refreshing results!

Synergy seals the zero-waste deal

• Partnership deal diverts 3 936 tonnes of waste from landfill
• Cost savings totalled around € 11 400 and additional sales of some € 125 000 

Denby Ceramics has been making pottery in Derbyshire, England for over 200 years and has moved on from the production of the salt-glazed pottery of its early days to the easily recognisable kitchen and tableware of today.

Building energy consumption readings can be obtained from different sources. Building energy certificates, for example, show the overall primary energy requirements, further broken down into consumption and demand-based certificates.

Companies, especially SMEs, need to operate as efficiently as possible to remain competititve. Energy auditing is a useful way to identify and prioritise energy-saving opportunities.

First, assess current energy use in a company by taking energy meter readings and analysing consumption (record them in a tracking spreadhseet or similar template). Benchmark the data against similar organisations.

A comparison of a conventional car with an energy efficient one delivered positive results. The environmentally friendly car was the same model as the conventional car (gasoline-powered, efficiency class B), but powered by natural gas with efficiency class A+. The price of the conventional model was € 10 375 and the energy efficient model came to € 12 950.

Sealing up unwanted draughts is an inexpensive way of saving small to moderate amounts of energy by improving thermal insulation. Draught-free rooms and buildings are more comfortable at lower temperatures, so you can even turn down the thermostat, which also saves on energy bills.

Heating costs through the roof? Consider cladding and insulation

Cladding is used to provide an additional layer of insulation to a building which improves thermal performance and weather resistance. It can be made using a variety of technologies, materials and procedures. Metal, wood, brick, vinyl, or composites can be used with varying insulating and cost-performance.