Greening your Products and Services

Businesses which offer sustainable products and services stand out in the marketplace – so reduce your impact, boost your sales and achieve green growth by responding to this demand.

Introduction


Greening your product or service is the right thing to do to reduce your company’s environmental impact. It also makes perfect business sense – as well as providing an excellent marketing opportunity, it also helps to protect your business from future fluctuations in energy prices and resource costs.

In order to ‘green’ product or service, you’ll need to look beyond your organisation. Sometimes, the majority of the environmental impact from your product/service’s lifecycle are produced upstream or downstream from your own operations. For example, during the processing and transportation of raw materials, or whilst a product is being used (see diagram below for more examples). These impacts may affect your product or service prices or willingness to buy if energy prices rise. Whilst these emissions might be outside of your direct control, that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. Therefore, when considering how to reduce the environmental impact of your products or services, it is important to keep its whole lifecycle at the forefront of your approach.

 

 

 

Recommendations

 

  1. Materials
    Reduce your raw materials where possible and look for more environmentally friendly options.
     
  2. Manufacturing
    Where possible, change the manufacturing process to reduce energy and water use. Simplify the product packaging design to reduce the number and volume of materials. Cut out waste from production processes where you can.
     
  3. Retail
    Redesign packaging where possible. Consider whether your products could be distributed in a more environmentally friendly way.
     
  4. Product in use
    Consider the whole product life cycle. Could it be extended by making the product easier to repair? Could the life of any disposable parts be extended? Can the operating energy use be reduced by making it more energy efficient?
     
  5. Product end of life
  • Reuse: Encourage the reuse of the product once its original use has expired.
  • Recycle: Redesign the product and its packaging to maximise what can be recycled at the end of life.
  • Disposal: Minimise packaging, especially if it can’t be recycled.
     

 

Additional Information


To give you an idea of what you are working towards, ‘Green’ products are likely to:

  • be energy efficient and may have the potential to run on renewable energy such as solar PV;
  • have lower levels of embodied carbon (i.e. they are made from materials which are less energy intensive to produce);
  • have a positive environmental impact in comparison to other similar products, for example a low temperature detergent;
  • be made from less hazardous materials; and
  • be straightforward to recycle, or are themselves made from recycled materials.


For services, it is a little more abstract, but examples include:

  • Green holidays, which use low-carbon travel and accommodation.
  • Green events, which are held in energy efficient venues, produce little waste and serve low-carbon food.
  • Green couriers, which use electric/ hybrid vehicles and cluster deliveries to save energy.
     


Engage your supply chain
 


In order to reduce the impact of your product or service, it may be easier to engage with your existing suppliers rather than trying to find more efficient suppliers. The first step, if you have many suppliers, is to identify the most carbon intensive of these. Discovering carbon emissions in a supplier’s footprint can help you to develop better relationships with them, as helping them identify and eliminate inefficiencies in their own processes will reduce their costs. This may also protect you against subsequent price increases from your suppliers.
 


Utility energy prices
 


Greening your product or service makes perfect business sense. Utility energy prices (gas and electricity) have been rising steadily over the last 10 years and inefficient, carbon intensive supply chains will become more costly due to regulation. Consequently, creating a more sustainable product/service that is less energy intensive to manufacture and deliver will protect you from future fluctuations in energy prices.
 


Publicise your achievements
 


Make your business, goods and services stand out from your competitors by exploiting the power of your sustainable business credentials. Consider how to make use of your achievements in your external communications and during the bidding processes. You can do this effectively by gaining an accreditation or a certification, for example the Carbon Trust offers product and service certification, to verify your achievement in reducing the product/service impact. There is also a supply chain certification which certifies your commitment and achievement to engaging your suppliers. There are many alternatives, so do your research or ask the START2ACT experts for advice.
 

Tools and Resources

  • De Nederlandse klimaatcoalitie (Dutch)
    The platform provides insipration, tools, resources and networks in the field of climate-neutral
  • Hier opgewekt (Dutch)
    A platform to share knowledge and experiences on local energy production. Online knowledge files, offline interactive knowledge sessions.
  • Klimtaatgids (Dutch)
    101 tips on energy saving
  • MKB servicedesk (Dutch)
    Energy desk for SME's with practical information on saving energy.
  • MVO (Dutch)
    The Dutch version of the platform is more extensive. It is a platform that bundles information for comapnies to start saving energy. There is a step by step document. And relevant links to other initiatives are provided.
  • Duurzaam Bedrijfsleven (Dutch)
    Provides information on different sustainability aspects for companies and new initiatives in relation to sustainability. There is a seperate section on energy.
  • Duurzaam MKB
    Translates the growing demand for sustainability into practical tools and methods for SMEs, industry, government. Share practical experiences.
  • Milieu Centraal (Dutch)
    Tests and advice on how to save energy.
  • Energiecentrum (Dutch)
    Provides company specific information on how to reduce energy for SMEs. You start with filling in the calculator and based on the companies energy usage and the sector it provides advice.
  • ICTFOOTPRINT Self Assessment Tool for ICT Services (SAT-S)
    The SAT-S allows you to estimate the carbon and energy footprint of a digital service (that you use or provide) based on 1 year of use of the service assessed. This will help you make informed decisions about actions to improve your energy efficiency and eventually become greener in your ICT elements.
  • ICTFOOTPRINT Self Assessment Tool for Organisations (SAT-O)
    The SAT-O allows you to estimate the carbon and energy footprint of your ICT organisation or the IT department of your organisation, based on 1 year of activity. This will help you make informed decisions about actions to improve your energy efficiency and overall carbon emissions, either directly linked to the company activities or not (e.g. business travel and commuting of your staff).
  • Klimaatplein (Dutch)
    Companies can use this calculator to see what their carbon footprint is of their organisation. They have to calculate this for building and traveling. And they get advice how to reduce it.
  • Lumeco (Dutch)
    Companies can use this calculator to see how much money they can save by chagning their lighting
  • Milieu Barometer (Dutch)
    Tool to provide insights on the carbon footprint and environmental performance of a company, envrionmental costs, advice on how to improve the environmental performance. There are costs involved for using the tool.
Tip of the day
Save energy at your SME by: changing your people’s minds, locking heat controls, running competitions.

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