earlyyears.teachwire.net
45
nursery business
STEPS TO
SUSTAINABLE
SUCCESS
3
How can focusing on being green help your business?
GET
MORE
HELP
In supporting SMEs to become
more successful, Lloyds Bank
plc provides a free online
Sustainability Planning Tool,
which allows you to create
an action plan focusing on a
wide range of areas, including
energy, water, transport
and waste management.
You can also use our guide
and templates to create a
sustainability policy that can
be used to promote your
sustainability commitments.
FOR MORE INFORMATION,
VISIT RESOURCES.
LLOYDSBANK.COM/
BUSINESS-GUIDES/
MANAGING-A-BUSINESS/
SUSTAINABILITY
N
urseries have lots of plates
to spin when it comes
to balancing the care
and safety of children,
so it is understandable
that for many, being sustainable – or
environmentally friendly – can feel like
just one more thing to squeeze into an
already busy day. But when you consider
the cost of running your business, and
the fact that often nurseries have higher
than average energy and water bills, you
will soon realise that actively managing
those two things, alongside introducing
some general good practice, can actually
make a real difference to your bottom
line, as well as helping the planet.
So, here are three steps you can take
right now to make your setting more
sustainable...
MANAGE YOUR
CONSUMPTION
Your first step should be to list all the
uses of energy and water within
the premises, and then identify
where you think improvements
can be made. This will
help you to prioritise your
activities. Stuck for ideas?
Here are some low-cost
quick wins that you could
get your sustainability
drive up and running:
l
Insulate draughty
windows & doors.
l
Improve wall and roof
insulation.
l
Replace old lights with
energy-efficient LEDs.
l
Re-negotiate your energy
supplier contract to get a better deal.
l
Fix dripping taps and fit water
flow restrictors.
l
Pay attention in the kitchen – when
making tea or coffee, don’t fill the kettle to the
brim; just fill it to the level you actually need.
l
Collect rainwater for cleaning floors
and vehicles.
CHANGE
YOUR HABITS
There are many simple things you and
your team can do to improve sustainability.
For example, remember to close doors
to retain heat, put up notices reminding
people to switch off lights when they’re not
needed, and be sure to avoid running taps
unnecessarily, to reduce
water wastage. All
of these things will
reduce your costs
over the year.
Getting support
from staff, and
parents, too, is vital to
making these changes
work, so make sure you
get them on-side. Running activities for
children can also help them understand, for
example, the importance of recycling and
embed good behaviours early on.
PROMOTE
YOUR ‘GREEN’
CREDENTIALS
Being more sustainable isn’t just about
saving money – it can also make your
nursery a more attractive option. Many
businesses promote their sustainability
activities on their websites to help promote
their values, so why not highlight the steps
you are taking to existing and prospective
customers? As people are increasingly
interested in their environment, especially
where their children are concerned, it can
be a real ‘selling’ point for some mums and
dads when choosing a nursery.
1
3
D
TIP
FOR SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENTS, SUCH
AS INSTALLING NEW
BOILERS AND HEATING
SYSTEMS, IT IS SENSIBLE
TO INVESTIGATE THE TAX
ALLOWANCES AVAILABLE
THROUGH THE HMRC.
GOV.UK SCHEME.
2
