Resource Efficient Scotland (RES) - a Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) programme designed to provide a ‘one-stop-shop to help businesses reduce their energy, water and raw materials usage’ - has announced the launch of a new online resource efficiency tool to help business ‘unlock savings worth millions’.

The Savings Finder Tool has been designed to offer Scottish businesses and public sector organisations the opportunity to ‘generate instant reports’ on their resource efficiency.

According to RES, The Savings Finder Tool offers users the opportunity to:

• create a ‘free report’ on their ‘savings opportunities’ including details on the cost of savings in energy, water and raw materials.;
• examine a ‘scored performance assessment’ to give users an indication of how well their organisation is doing in efficiently using its raw materials, energy and water;
• receive a free ‘resource efficiency action plan’ that details step-by-step actions to help organisations save money, along with a guide to the latest free tools, resources and funding available from RES.

In order to gain access to a ‘comprehensive report highlighting the cost saving opportunities tailored for their organisation,’ users will have to complete an online questionnaire detailing their organisation’s current resource use.

Tool could ‘unlock savings worth millions’

It is expected that the new scheme could help organisations ‘unlock savings worth millions of pounds’.

Head of RES Marissa Lippiatt, commented: “This tool is easy for companies to use and has been designed to provide simple, straightforward advice to help small and medium sized enterprises and other organisations save money.

“We’ve calculated that organisations just in Scotland could save as much as 2.9 billion pounds every year by making more efficient use of their resources and individual organisations could save thousands of pounds a year.

“By helping decision makers generate their own resource efficiency action plans, The Savings Finder will play a vital role helping organisations achieve those savings.”

The “first of its kind”

Lippiatt added that the Savings Finder tool is “the first of its kind in the UK”, allowing all Scottish Organisations “instant access to expert advice”.

The Savings Finder Tool has already received feedback from individual Scottish businesses.

Louise Smart, Environment Manager at Michelin Tyres, commented: “The Savings Finder tool was a comprehensive but straightforward way for us to identify practical steps to improve efficiency and save money.”

Similarly, Phillip Munroe, Estate Ranger and Green Champion, at tourist attraction Abbotsford House praised the tool’s “simple and quick” format.

He added that it “gives great advice to anyone serious about saving money on energy, waste or water”.

Resource Efficiency Pledge

The Savings Finder tool comes as a new part to the “wider package of online, telephone and onsite support” provided by RES for Scottish business and organisations.

In April 2014, RES delivered the Resource Efficiency Pledge (REP) – a scheme that calls upon Scottish businesses to pledge take steps to improve use their resources efficiency.

It asks businesses to pick between three and six resource efficiency ‘actions’ from across the categories of Business Process; Staff Engagement; and Supply Chain to complete over the course of 12 months.

Once signed up, businesses can access ‘specialist advice and support’ to help them manage their resources more efficiently, and will receive certificates and marketing materials to promote their involvement to clients and stakeholders.

If all actions have been achieved after 12 months, those who have pledged will receive a ‘bronze award’ in recognition, moving on towards achieving silver, gold and platinum over subsequent years.

Any business located in Scotland can sign up to the pledge online, while industries and trade bodies may also sign up to become ‘Pledge Ambassadors’ and promote the message of resource efficiency to business networks, customers and supply chains.

Find out more about The Savings Finder Tool or read more about Resource Efficient Scotland and the Resource Efficiency Pledge.