A new report shows that nearly 90 per cent of Welsh manufacturers have taken steps toward reducing their carbon footprint on the environment.
The government-funded programme Envirowise together with the Engineering Employers Federation recently published a survey revealing that energy efficiency and waste management have become the key focus for many companies due to the pressure put upon them by consumers as well as government regulations.
The EEF states that while strides are being made, more can be done. Part of the issue facing manufacturers is the lack of infrastructure and availability of affordable waste management services.
EEF’s Barry Warburton stated that increased pressure from various sources has caused the acceleration of the environmental agenda with most UK manufacturers.
“Contrary to popular belief, many have already taken steps to reduce their impact on the environment and are committed to doing more,” he said.
Envirowise production specialist Bill McCausland said the survey has uncovered the commitment of manufacturers in Wales.
“With continued pressure on manufacturers to manage the impact of higher raw material costs, taking a systematic approach to resource efficiency can provide manufacturers with a sustainable strategy of cost reduction in this competitive market,” he said.
The majority of the responding companies had their environmental policies approved by their boards and had assigned specific tasks to a person or department that would be responsible for managing environmental issues.
There is a discrepancy, however, in the way large companies handle the problem as opposed to small companies.
Although 92 per cent of the larger companies had a board-approved environmental policy, only 58 per cent of smaller companies had the board’s approval.
Source: Wales Online
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