As Energy Efficiency Week comes to a close reporter Vicki Green looks at the part businesses are playing in helping to protect the planet...

It is not just in the home where we can concentrate on being energy efficient - we need to start being more efficient with our resources at work too.

As part of Energy Efficiency Week, Southampton environment Centre has also launched an Action Energy campaign, calling for organisations in the region to act now to reduce their energy bills.

SIEnA, Solent Industry and Environment Association, the business division of the Environment Centre, is a not-for-profit environmental business support service for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. SIEnA offers lots of help and advice for businesses to meet current environmental legislation.

Over the past year, SIEnA has undertaken a waste arisings survey of the port of Southampton. The study is funded by the RMC Environment Fund, Marina Developments Limited and Southampton City Council, with support from the Environment Agency.

Results suggest that the 700 companies in the study area produce more than 100,000 tonnes of waste each year. There is huge scope for waste reduction. SIEnA plans to extend active support to Solent port-based companies as part of phase two of this project.

Candice Collier, business co-ordinator for SIEnA, said: "Our clients, businesses and organisations come to us because of the increasing pressures of environmental legislation and from their own customers - as well as a growing realisation that good environmental performance is simple good business performance.

"It helps to cut costs, improve efficiency and boost competitiveness.

"Environmental issues have become increasingly important for businesses of all types and sizes. Taking steps to reduce energy and waste consumption, can bring very significant cash savings with short pay-back periods.

"This project aims to work with businesses in order to help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by providing viable alternatives to its disposal.

"This will be achieved through analysis of individual waste streams and facilitating its re-use by other organisations.

"Reducing the amount of waste we generate as a region is considered by many as the second greatest environmental policy issue after climate change.

"Disposing of waste to landfill is not only a waste of resources, but with forthcoming European legislation, will become harder to do.

"Industry and commerce will therefore play an ever-increasing role in reducing the amount of waste generated.

"In the UK every year we use 600 million tonnes of raw material and energy to produce 60 million tonnes of goods and services."

So what are the reasons for companies to take note and go 'green'?

Small firms make a major contribution to economic prosperity and employment in the UK. 95 per cent of our 3.7 million businesses have fewer than ten employees and 78 per cent have a turnover below £100,000 a year. But, taken together, small firms account for more than half of the UK's business turnover.

Christine Watkins, chief executive of Southampton Environment Centre said: "I have recently joined the Environment Centre from business and I was horrified to find so few people are taking action on energy.

"The economic case for improving insulation and energy controls is so clear, simple and cost-effective that it is hard to see why everyone, business, householder or group has not made this their number one priority.

"Getting this message across is now mine."

If you would like to find out more about the Action Energy campaign, call 0800 585794 and request a free starter pack or a free energy survey or check the website at: http://www.actionenergy.org.uk/.

Action Energy has already helped many organisations reduce their energy bills by up to 20 per cent using a wide range of energy efficiency techniques, many of which involve little or no cost.