Check Out Envirowise and Save Your Business Money - It's FREE

27th September 2006

Envirowise was launched in 1994. The programme was designed specifically to encourage the sharing of best practice across UK industry, helping businesses boost competitiveness through improved environmental performance and more efficient use of resources.

More than ten years later thousands of businesses have turned to Envirowise for help in cutting out unnecessary waste - as a result they are better off to the tune of £1 billion.

The business environment has changed too. In 1994 the environment was not on the business agenda. It was not seen as an issue affecting competitiveness - just 20% of businesses in the UK accepted the link between environmental performance and profitability. When businesses did act to address environmental issues, they were largely driven to do so by regulation.

Today, nearer 50% of companies see the environment as a critical business issue. They accept that everything they do has an environmental dimension that could affect their ability to do business profitably. As a result, improving environmental performance is increasingly seen as a business imperative - from reducing water consumption and making better use of raw materials to innovating in the design of 'cleaner' products.

But there is still much to do. It is estimated that UK businesses could save a further billion pounds through improved environmental performance.

Since April 2005, Envirowise has identified savings of £1.2 million by working with around 150 companies in Scotland.

BUSINESSES URGED TO CUT WASTE AND SAVE MONEY VIA TEXT
'Dnt b wstfl, text WASTE to 88058' will be the call to action on posters across towns and cities nationwide which invites business people to cut waste and save money via their mobile phones.

The environmental action campaign, developed by Envirowise in partnership with mobile marketing agency Incentivated, provides the user with a direct link on their mobile phone to a specially designed savings calculator, accessible via a mobile internet website.

Users are then prompted to enter straightforward details about their typical office resource use. Their phone will then display information on how savings can be made by putting in place low or no-cost environmental improvements to reduce water and paper usage. Details of other sources of practical advice are also given, including the confidential Envirowise helpline.

Jonathan Bass, Incentivated's Managing Director, comments: "The purpose of this campaign is to use the latest media channels and get the message out about the benefits of resource efficiency. As mobile phones are now a vital tool for every business, this is one of the most convenient ways businesses to see how to make cost savings".

Elaine Sharpe, Envirowise's Marketing Campaigns Manager adds: "Of the mobile agencies we met, Incentivated stood out as the one which understood our needs and demonstrated they could develop a creative, user-friendly solution". "

The campaign follows research conducted by MORI on behalf of Envirowise, which reveals that while three-quarters of small and medium sized businesses consider the reduction of business waste as an important issue, a fifth still do not know where to turn for environmental advice.

For more information on Envirowise and its free services for businesses, call 0800 585 794 or visit .
Envirowise