On the day of our Northern Star Business Awards, we hear from one of our previous winners on their lightbulb moment.
"A GENUINE lightbulb moment was the catalyst for our journey towards becoming what is today believed to be the UK’s most eco-friendly hair salon.
It all started when my husband Gordon and I met award-winning salon designer Charlie Hearn at an industry seminar where he was discussing the use of LED lights.
We would never have dreamed that our aim of replacing traditional lamps with a more eco-friendly solution would lead to a complete overhaul of our business practices and procedures.
Since that first meeting, the project has gained a momentum all of its own - as demonstrated by the completion of a major “green” refurbishment three years ago.
We’ve received tremendous support from a wide range of organisations which has helped us implement a comprehensive environmental review of our daily business operations.
Changes we’ve made to date include the use of recyclable materials, photovoltaic (PV) panels to provide electricity, solar thermal panels to provide energy for hot water, LED lighting that uses 80% less electricity and environmentally-friendly basins that have cut water consumption by 64%.
From the beginning, we wanted to take our environmental responsibilities seriously and, in doing so, support one of the key targets of our long-term business strategy: namely, making the salon as close to carbon neutral as practicable by the end of 2016.
We’ve attempted to incorporate a sustainable approach right down to the fine details – everything from the use of recyclable materials and compostable towels to fitting carbon-neutral furniture and PV panels.
And yet these steps can add up to big savings over the long-term, particularly for other small firms, as well as helping your business stand out from the crowd.
We have found there to be a great deal of help and support available to environmentally-aware firms. Here are five organisations we’d recommend:
Energy Saving Trust: We secured a five-figure interest-free loan from the Energy Saving Trust which helped to pay for the refurbishment. We also received an interest-free loan to provide the business with low carbon transport.
Carbon Trust: We have substantially reduced our carbon emissions, by 94%, following implementation of a carbon management plan, endorsed by the Carbon Trust.
Zero Waste Scotland: We successfully cut the amount of waste being sent to landfill by 95% through improved procedures for waste management which has led to the company being used as a case study by Zero Waste Scotland.
Bright Green Business: In order to document our ongoing contribution to sustainable development, we have developed an environmental management system, Green Ticks, with the help of Bright Green Business.
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce: We have won 16 business awards, having been nominated for honours on 61 occasions. This included the 2014 Northern Star Green Award and the 2012 Sustainability honour as part of the Chamber Awards, organised by the British Chambers of Commerce. Both honours helped increase awareness of our business and our green credentials."