Disposables UK

A COMPANY manufacturing paper products for the washroom has become the first UK firm in its sector to meet the requirements of a European-wide scheme.

Meltham-based Disposables UK, which provides items such as toilet rolls, hand towels and wipes, has succeeded in meeting the criteria of the EU Eco-label scheme, which was set up in 1992 to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment.

Products bearing the Eco-label’s flower logo are less damaging to the environment than equivalent brands over their whole life cycle – having been tested at independent test centres and reviewed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

In awarding accreditation, the Eco-label considers issues such air emission of sulphur and green house gases during production, water pollution during production, energy consumption during production, risk to human health, environmental damage from the use of hazardous chemicals and use of recycled fibres of fibres from sustainably-managed forests.

Trevor Storer, group chairman for Disposables UK, said: "Going green is no longer simply about using recycled products. It is tied into the ethics of corporate and social responsibility.

"Being green is about using products that create a health living and enhance the working environment.

"In the paper manufacturing industry, many lay claim to being green.

"However, being green is not just about re-forestation or recycling products or even about putting a green hand print on packaging."

Mr Storer said: "It has taken us 18 months to be certified and it certainly hasn’t been a walk in the park, but as a company we have recognised the importance of ‘green’ and to be able to provide certified ‘green washrooms’ makes customers happy and increases our UK market share."

Ploughcroft Ltd

A BUILDING firm is helping prevent heating costs from going through the roof.

Brighouse-based Ploughcroft has built on its reputation for excellence in the construction industry by setting up a new environmental division under the EcoRoof brand name.

The division encompasses all the company’s green" products, including its expertise in roofing, solar panel installation and loft insulation service.

Ploughcroft, which was established in 1997, is a leading contractor for Liquid Plastics, supplying seamless waterproof membrane technology which provides the base for "green" roofs.

Managing director Chris Hopkins said: "Green roof systems offer a quality product that insulates against sound, is cooler in the summer and retains about 30% more heat during winter.

"Our green roof systems provide diverse habitats for birds and insects as well as giving effective storm management by absorbing up to 75% of rainfall – reducing run-off and flood risk."

Ploughcroft works closely with solar panel manufacturers and installers to help cut property heating bills by up to 70% and reduce the use of diminishing supplies of fossil fuels.

It also works with ConstructionSkills, City & Guilds and the National Federation of Roofing Contractors to develop qualifications for roof slating and solar panel installation.

Ploughcroft’s loft insulation service also helps households reduce heating costs by up to 15% with the use of EcoWool, a product made from 85% recycled material.

And it is offering EcoLogic, a new roof tile coating that will absorb pollutants from the air and also contains a high level of recycled materials.

Said Mr Hopkins: "We aim to be at the forefront of helping individuals, companies and institutions in the region reduce their carbon footprints by introducing them to the alternative renewable energy and eco-friendly resources available.

"Despite the economic challenges, we remain committed to expanding our environmental division."

City Car Club

A CAR club based in Huddersfield is getting the "green" light for helping the environment.

City Car Club, which has its operations centre at the Media Centre, was formed in 1999 and runs car clubs in major urban centres London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Bath, Brighton, Norwich and Birmingham as well as Huddersfield.

Earlier this year, it created the UK’s largest network of its kind with the takeover of Leeds-based pay-as-you-go car rental company WhizzGo.

The move provided WhizzGo’s existing members with access to a fleet of 350 cars in Leeds, Huddersfield and 13 other towns and cities across the UK.

WhizzGo was formed in Leeds in 2004 in partnership with the city council. Following the takeover, City Car Club has 16,000 members across the UK – more than 1,700 of them in Leeds where there are 32 cars located in on-street bays across the city.

City Car Club is billed as a recession-proof way alternative to owning a car – enabling individuals or businesses to rent a car by the hour. In Huddersfield, it has five Ford Fiestas located at St George’s Square and outside the Civic Centre, High Street.

The cars for rent are available for use around the clock. They can be booked over the internet, by phone or at the vehicle itself.

City Car Club chief executive James Finlayson said annual turnover for the business was now approaching £5m – while the company planned to double the size of its fleet within two years.

Ray Cooper, Huddersfield manager for City Car Club, said: "Each of our cars replaces 20 private cars, according to figures from carplus.org, the government’s car club monitoring service.

"This means we have effectively replaced 700 old, inefficient cars and saved 84,000kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere a year."