York Green Business Forum

January 30th saw York SPARK host the latest instalment of the Green Business Forum. Local businesses and industry experts got together to present and share knowledge on how they’re tackling issues surrounding waste. This was then concluded by a speed dating session inviting organisations to fill out cards detailing waste they could give and use. 

The Venue 

York SPARK itself is a not-for-profit organisation that insists all profits go towards enriching the local communities in York. As a venue, it’s as unusual as they come – a tower of arranged repurposed shipping containers arranged into something that resembles a small, well-ventilated food court complete with spaces for local artists and cafes. 

As it happens the first presentation at the forum was on SPARK’s story, including the measures they go to to put sustainability at the heart of their operations: tenants wishing to open up a space there must abide by a set of sustainable guidelines and are incentivised to source locally and conserve energy use to reduce rent costs.  

Continuous improvement is a must and new ideas are being added every month: one development, a vertical garden of microgreens, means that local pizza restaurants hosted by SPARK only need walk a few steps to source the basil for their margherita slices! 

Continuous Improvement 

I attended the forum with my colleague, facilities manager Alan Fisher, who has recently qualified as an IEMA practitioner. As part of attaining this qualification, Alan ran several sustainable initiatives internally at Techbuyer, including an energy waste reduction campaign.  

As a Sustainability Coordinator aiming to run initiatives of my own, events like this forum are a great way to see what other businesses are doing and if we can apply these ideas at Techbuyer.  
The circular economy is core to everything we do at Techbuyer and is embedded across several of our Sustainable Development Goals. Last year we found a local scrap store that could make creative use of incoming packaging waste foam and wrap. We have also continued to work with the cone exchange to reuse other foams. 

Aside from packaging, electronic waste is another considerable issue – with only an estimated 17.4% collected and recycled, with this in mind we’re always looking at ways to find a second life for technology that has fallen behind the desirable ‘tech-line’ for businesses. Through our work with IT Schools Africa Techbuyer has donated over 16,000 kgs of equipment for use in schools across the continent. 

From Councils to Coffee Shops 

A wide range of organisations were represented at the Forum including: 

Local cafes and coffee shops looking at ways to bring communities together to reduce waste, such as communal larders and finding agricultural use for coffee byproducts.  

The  Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) who provides deeper insight into the chemical properties of organic waste to find alternative uses for it, as well as mapping the concentration of specific waste types throughout a region. 

York Council shared some of the measures they are taking to hit their Net Zero pledge, including adding electric vehicles to their waste collection fleet and even introducing rickshaws to transport stock and waste! 

The York IT reuse project take unused or broken equipment and (using a team of volunteers) repairs, wipes and donates kit to members of the community who might not otherwise have access to it. 

Finding Your Match (Sort of) 

Following the forum, all attendees received an email from BDC giving advice on waste management and suggesting potential partners.  

So, Did Techbuyer Meet Its Match?  

Not this time, turns out we are already doing a lot right! 

Techbuyer's IEMA Accredited Sustainability Training

Interested in learning more about how you can reduce the waste you send to landfill and create a more sustainable business? 

Join one of our sustainability training sessions - aimed at all levels, positions and businesses - to grow your understanding of environmental best practice, sustainability legislation, and opportunities for your individual business to improve. Browse our range of courses and enquire now to find out more details here.