Reducing your impact on the environment and make some money along the way

Bag with re-use written on it

Now more than ever, budgets are being squeezed and prices are increasingly getting higher. It’s not ideal – however there’s no need to hide your head in your hands. We have some ideas on reducing your impact on the environment that could help boost your income for minimal effort.

Recycling your used oil and turn it into biodiesel

Biodiesel is a fuel created from refining used cooking oil. The diesel which you buy at the pump has to, by law, include a ratio of 4.75% biofuel to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So, the demand for your used cooking oil could be high!

The process of producing biodiesel is called transesterification. This is a process that changes the structure of the oil so it behaves like diesel. Don’t worry, you don’t need to don your lab coats and get the bunsen burners ready! There are companies out there that will buy your used oil from you and turn it into biodiesel.

Below is a list of companies that we have come across that can help. It’s not exhaustive, so we recommend doing a Google search to see if there are companies more local to your business that can help.

Food waste

Hopefully you won’t have that much food waste, but some can’t be helped – such as potato peelings or left-over fish from preparation.

When it comes to food waste you probably won’t be able to sell it to anyone – however, it could boost your local credentials by donating to local charities and food banks, which in turn could see more people coming through your door.

Composting

Your local council may take your food waste, and if they do they will probably charge extra for it. If they don’t collect it or you understandably don’t want to pay for the service then you can donate it.

Composting comprises of two different types, Green and Brown. Green compostable items include organic matter such as fruits, vegetables and peelings, bread and grains. Brown can include items such as newspaper, cardboard and eggshells.

These don’t have to be separated and can be mixed to give a rich compost that can be used in your own vegetable patch or donated to a charity, local gardening club or organisation that can make use of it. It also means you’re throwing less away that would normally go to landfill.

Food banks

You’ll be surprised what food banks and community kitchens can make with left over food. If you know of a local food bank then give them a call to see if you can help, or click here to see a list of Food Banks from the Independent Food Aid Network. You could also contact The Trussell Trust here who may be able to help.

Turn your efforts into a good news story

Everyone loves a bit of good news, especially when it involves helping the environment or your local community.
Get in touch with your local newspapers and press and explain what you’re doing and tell them you’d love for them to run a story. You can even get the people and organisations you have helped involved as they would also love to benefit from the coverage.

Your local community are your customers – helping them out and shouting about it will in turn help bring new customers through your door and increase your turnover.