The SMILE Resource Exchange has just launched a new environmental support programme for businesses in Co Donegal interested in finding ways to improve their current wastes and by-product streams.
SMILE Resource Exchange is a free service for businesses that encourages the exchanging of resources between its members in order to save money, reduce waste going to landfill and to develop new business opportunities.
This new addition to the SMILE service offering means that members can avail of free expert environmental assistance to identify potential resource efficiencies within their processes. Businesses can discover alternatives to recycling or landfill, new product opportunities, linkages with other companies and associated savings.
The SMILE Resource Exchange programme now has over 1,500 business members nationally and over 454 successful synergies recorded to date. This equates to an estimated 35,000 tonnes of material diverted from landfill or recycling and a combined cost saving for businesses of over €6.4m million.
“With sustainability fast becoming more and more important to Irish consumers, businesses are quickly realising that a sustainable business model not only aids their marketing efforts, it has a positive effect on their bottom line too,” said Michelle Green, project manager with SMILE Resource Exchange.
“The team here at SMILE is excited at the prospect of offering even more in-depth assistance to our member companies. We are currently tendering for the right expertise nationwide with a view to having a panel of environmental experts at the ready, in each region of the country.”
Since its inception in 2010, members of SMILE have created lots of positive stories with their exchanges: for example there are a number of hotels that have linked with charities to find good homes for furniture following refurbishments; building contractors linked with playgrounds and outdoor activity centres to reuse no longer required Astro Turf; hospitals linked with retirement homes to reuse beds; label liners that were previously sent to landfill are now being recycled; waste food generators connected with anaerobic digester sites to generate biogas; waste glass reprocessed for use in the manufacture of eco construction products, and many more.
“The SMILE Resource Exchange facilitates our meeting the region’s strategic objectives, in particular by illustrating how better management of our resources can benefit the region both environmentally and economically. The SMILE project helps people in business to change their behaviour and to prioritise waste prevention at the planning stage,” says Sinead Ni Mhainnin, Resource Efficiency Officer of the Connaught Ulster Waste Region.
Becoming a member of the SMILE Resource Exchange is free at www.smileexchange.ie. Businesses with an interest in availing of SMILE technical support can contact the team on 026 20520 or info@smileexchange.ie. SMILE is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Connaught Ulster Waste Management Office.
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