Your Business and the Environment

4. Product Management

Environmentally responsible products and production processes offer marketing benefits.

4.1 Design products and processes to reduce the use of resources.

• It is often cheaper to buy less material than to waste and dispose of it.

4.2 Design products for re-use.

• Make products that can be reused, repaired and easily recycled.

4.3 Use recycled and recyclable packaging.

• Businesses with an annual turnover of £2 million or more that handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging per year are legally required to 'recover' and recycle a percentage of their packaging waste. Ask for advice (see 8).

4.4 Use environmentally responsible materials.

• Avoid using scarce natural resources.
• Avoid buying supplies with excessive packaging.
• Avoid use of hazardous substances and comply with legal restrictions.
• Avoid materials that produce toxic by-products when processed.

4.5 Use environmentally responsible production methods and machinery.

• For example, new refrigerators do not use the ozone-damaging CFC coolant and they use less electricity.
• There are tax incentives in the form of capital allowances for energy saving and environmentally beneficial equipment. Loss making businesses can surrender losses attributable to expenditure on such equipment in exchange for tax credit from the Government. Visit www.eca.gov.uk for more information.
• If you plan to replace existing equipment, such as lighting, boilers or insulation, with a more energy-efficient version you may be able to obtain an interest-free loan of between £5,000 and £100,000 to fund it. Visit www.thecarbontrust.co.uk for details.

4.6 Use appropriate labelling.

• Inform customers how your products and production processes take account of the environment and how to recycle or dispose of products properly.