London Wider Waste Strategy - London - Greater London Authority

Encouragement of waste minimisation and recycling by generators
4.131. Envirowise and Waste Watch/Wastebusters promote waste minimisation and recycling in
London and elsewhere through activities such as one-to-one advisory services, waste
minimisation clubs, events of general relevance or targeted at specific business sectors,
and the provision of information resources. These organisations have relatively limited
resources in relation to the potential number of clients, which includes every business
and public sector organisation in London, subject to Envirowise’s inability under EU
state aid rules to assist public organisations. Nevertheless, they have been successful to
the extent their resources allow. In the period from 1998 to 2003 Waste Watch
Business Network helped over 600 businesses across London to save £430,824 and
divert 1,750 tonnes from landfill/incineration. 19 Further discussion of Envirowise’s
experience is included below.
4.132. The London Environment Centre (LEC), part of London Metropolitan University,
operates an SME environmental advice project called Environmental Business Action.
Funded from the Single Regeneration Budget since 2001, the project promotes
environmental best practice for SME's in LB Barking & Dagenham, LB Havering and
Thurrock. To date, about 30 companies have received assistance.
4.133. Another LEC project, 1-2-3 Business Environmental Efficiency, provided free
environmental support to almost 300 Small to Medium Sized Enterprises within the
'Objective 2 area' of East London. The project was funded in 2002 and 2003 by the
ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) but is now ended. It is likely that there
are and will continue to be similar local environmental advice projects funded from a
range of sources.
4.134. LEC with Business Link for London also operate Green Mark, an environmental branding
scheme for businesses developed through the 123 Business Environmental Efficiency
Project. The award scheme has 3 stages, with companies progressing through the
stages over a period of time, and is an introduction to the principles of environmental
management although it could ultimately lead to development of a full EMS. From the
launch date of Green Mark in July 2003 to November 2003, 24 companies were
awarded Green Mark Level One. 20 It would be useful for the GLA to further explore the
options for aligning and perhaps ultimately merging Green Mark with the Mayor’s Green
Procurement Code, to provide greater focus of resources and greater clarity for
business.
4.135. Waste minimisation clubs are often operated by partnerships of organisations. The
Envirowise website indicates that there are 11 located in London, although four of these
clubs are not currently active (South Thames Waste Alert, Harrow Waste Alert, Merton,
Bromley & Bexley Waste Alert) and there may be others not recorded. Their benefits
include a shared approach to learning and problem solving, and low cost access to
advice. Annual membership of the Waste Watch Business Network costs between
£23.50 (up to 10 employees) and £587.50 (more than 250 employees).
4.136. The LDA and Business Link for London have recently commissioned research on how to
improve the provision of environmental support services to SMEs in London. The first
stage was to identify the extent of such services in London 21 . The second stage
considers environmental support services from the business perspective and will
recommend how to achieve more effective provision of environmental support services
19 Source: Waste Watch website http://www.wastewatch.org.uk
20 Source: LEC website www.londonmet.ac.uk/lec
21 Mapping of sustainability advice provision in London. GEMS, LEC, CESMB and Wastebusters. June 2003.
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