Online green guidance for manufacturers launched at TEAM

Citation

(2004), "Online green guidance for manufacturers launched at TEAM", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 51 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2004.12851bab.008

Online green guidance for manufacturers launched at TEAM

Online green guidance for manufacturers launched at TEAM

Keywords: Environment, Legislation, Small firms

The latest in a series of guidelines to help smaller manufacturers understand their environmental obligations were launched at the Total Engineering and Manufacturing (TEAM) exhibition at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

The guidelines on the NetRegs Web site – www.netregs.gov.uk – have been designed to help small businesses understand the environmental legislation relevant to them using plain language. They are essential reading for anyone in England, Scotland and Wales involved in the manufacturing of fabricated metals and metal products, machinery and equipment. The guidelines are currently being developed to cover environmental law applicable to Northern Ireland.

The NetRegs Web site is free to visit, available 24h a day and anonymous as there is no need to register. The site has been set up by the UK's environmental regulators and contains information on mandatory obligations and advice on good environmental practice – which can help businesses save money and become more competitive.

Research published by the Environment Agency indicates that British Manufacturing could add £2-£3 billion pounds to profits annually if environmental best practice were made standard.

Guidelines to help smaller businesses in several other manufacturing sectors have already been launched on NetRegs. They include guidelines for people involved in a range of manufacturing industries from food and drink and rubber and plastics, to pulp and paper.

Research conducted for NetRegs into the environmental behaviour of small businesses across a range of industry sectors, found that just 18 per cent of those questioned could name any environmental regulations affecting them and only 24 per cent had an environmental policy in place. A total of 41 per cent of those questioned said that they would like more information and advice on environmental matters.

Tim Fanshawe, NetRegs Programme Co-ordinator, will stress the importance of working in partnership with small and medium-sized businesses to help them reduce their environmental impact and become more competitive when he addresses manufacturers at TEAM.

“We understand that smaller businesses have limited time and resources to research their environmental obligations, which is why we have developed NetRegs,” said Fanshawe, “But complying with environmental legislation is not just good for the environment, it can also result in significant business benefits, such as cost savings from improved water and energy efficiencies.”