View from WRAP Cymru
Welcome to Beth Winkley's blog. Find out what's on our minds this month and let us have your views and comments.
17 February 2012
The Big Freeze
I saw daffodils blooming in December in Cardiff, and I was harvesting my own land cress well into the new year. But then winter finally arrived, and for us gardeners I’m not sure whether it was a blessing or a curse.
The colder months inevitably mean higher heating bills, but adequate insulation can help cut fuel consumption and reduce your carbon footprint. WRAP Cymru has worked with a South Wales Valleys business which makes insulation out of recycled paper, just one of the many small or medium-sized manufacturing businesses which have benefitted from our support. We’ll be adding their story – alongside case studies of other businesses with which we work – on the website over the next few weeks. I’ll let you know when they go live. And if you think your business could benefit from WRAP support, call us on 029 2044 8090 or email max.harvey@wrap.org.uk
There’s been a lot of coverage recently about Sainsbury’s decision to change its packaging labelling from ‘freeze on day of purchase’ to ‘change before use-by date.’ It’s a great example of the way that WRAP works with retailers and consumers to help them save money and prevent waste. To find out how you can reduce the amount of food you throw away visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Before I go I wanted to say hello to everyone I met at the Empower conference on 9 February and thank you again for inviting me to speak. And finally, to let you know that Owain Griffiths has joined WRAP Cymru as Recycling Adviser, to work with local authorities on the Collaborative Change Programme.
6 February 2012
The benefits of resource efficiency
On 9 February I’ll be talking about environmental sustainability at the Empower Conference for the voluntary sector. I’ll be talking about the fact that making decisions on environmental grounds often results in economic and social benefits.
It’s something that all of us working in the sector are aware of, but it’s worth reminding ourselves now and again - being resource efficient, preventing waste and recycling as much as we can is good for business and the community.
The more we can recycle as a nation, and the more recyclate we can keep here in Wales, the better for Welsh jobs and businesses as well as for the environment. That’s why WRAP Cymru doesn’t just work with the collections and reprocessing sectors, but also with manufacturers, growing the market for recycled materials.
The Business and Markets Team were up in North Wales this week for the last of our information days about our REMake support for manufacturers and I hear the event went really well. As always, we’re always keen to hear your feedback so if you attended please let us know what you thought of the day.
For those of you that couldn’t make it, you can still apply for REMake support. Call us on 029 2044 8090 or email Bettina.gilbert@wrap.org.uk to find out more.
