As a result of East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and Business Link’s resource efficiency campaign, a number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Leicestershire are saving money on energy and reducing their carbon footprints.

Through their work with Business Link, Arden Direct Marketing and Fosse Limited in Leicestershire have now been through a resource efficiency diagnostic. These companies subsequently received free resource efficiency advice from the Business Link and assistance to enable them to access emda grant funding to implement resource efficiency improvements.

Based at Barwell in Leicester, Arden Direct Marketing, a direct mail and telemarketing company, worked with a Business Link advisor to identify areas where savings could be made, such as energy usage, packaging materials, waste control and water use. The direct marketing industry needs to demonstrate to both its clients and the general public, responsible use and control of direct mail. Arden is a full member of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and follow best practice guidelines as prescribed by the DMA’s Green Initiative and the Royal Mail’s drive to achieve reduced emissions. They have been offered an emda funded grant to help develop and implement an environmental management system and achieve ISO 14001:2004 certification.

Fosse Limited, from Whetstone in Leicestershire, provides solutions to liquid spills across industry sectors. The company worked with a Business Link advisor who identified ways in which Fosse could save money on its energy bills. Fosse has now been offered an emda funded grant. It is planning to use this grant to replace the over-issue newsprint used in its cat litter with paper sludge (currently landfilled) and to design and introduce a new second drier system, reducing the company’s energy use by £27,800 per year and CO2 emissions by 29%. By recycling paper sludge back into their products, Fosse is reducing the amount of landfill by 10,000 tonnes.

John O’Reilly, emda’s Business Support Director said: “As these businesses have realised, resource efficiency makes ultimate business sense, achieving real business savings and ensuring long-term success through sustainable business practice. As SMEs make up 95% of the business base in the East Midlands, they can make a real difference to the resource efficiency of the region. I would encourage as many businesses as possible to contact Business Link and find out what savings and improvements they can make.”

SMEs interested in resource efficiency and the free training, help, advice and potential emda funding available should call Business Link on 0845 058 6644*, visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/eastmidlands/efficiency or email: efficiency@businesslinkem.co.uk.

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