Green SMEs save £60m per year

Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK are saving almost £60 million per year by keeping up with environmental regulations.

Government backed eco-advice website, NetRegs, offers free advice to small businesses on environmental law and eco-friendly business practice.

An independent survey commissioned by NetRegs found that the website saves small businesses £58 million per year in consultancy fees and fines that would have to be paid for breaking environmental legislation.

Last year, small and medium sized businesses were fined £2.4 million for environmental damage and pollution.

The average saving of businesses in the manufacturing industry that use the site is over £3,000 per year.

John Holbrow, environmental chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses, said eco-friendly business practice must be a ‘top priority’ for small and medium sized businesses as it helps them cut costs, and improves competitiveness.

Martin Brocklehurst from the Environment Agency added that money saved by going green will be increasingly important to businesses as the world enters a recession.