Green facilities management may include recycling

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Environment Agency has reminded of the importance of recycling schemes at commercial property.

By Ashley Brunskill

Business facilities management may focus on the energy efficiency of commercial property, but the Environment Agency has reminded companies not to forget the importance of recycling.

Under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations businesses that import, rebrand or manufacture such equipment must register with the agency.

The regulations seek to reduce the amount of WEEE and firms caught breaching the law could face a court appearance and a fine of up to £5,000 in magistrates' court.

As well as making sure they meet the WEEE rules, businesses could ensure their commercial property is as green as possible.

Indeed, a recent poll by the Carbon Trust found a third of small and medium-sized businesses expect energy to be one of the top three company costs in 2010.

The study came as the trust announced its Big Business Refit had helped fund energy-efficient equipment upgrades, saving £20 million a year and 125,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Source: ask-re The Property People LLP