Speaking in London last night, the Mayor, Ken Livingstone gave an update on the progress of his Green Procurement Code. Mr Livingstone launched the idea of a code in June and following months of discussions with a large number of companies a green code has now been written. The code has been developed by London Remade in a bid to help the capital meet its recycling targets. The code aims to show businesses that buying recycled does not have to be risky and that by signing up to the code they will make a difference to their shareholders and stakeholders.
Mr Livingstone said that companies in the capital need to take the lead in buying recycled and he said that while he was impressed with the number of businesses that had signed up, he urged more to come forward. “We set out to find 25 initial companies to sign the code, but 106 have already signed up.”
Companies can sign up to the code at four different levels. These range from taking part in general discussions about recycled products to committing to measurable targets for specifying and buying recycled products.
The 106 companies that have so far signed up to the initiative range from small-scale organisations and local authorities to major retailers including Selfridges, supermarkets such as Safeway and Sainsbury's, banks, accountancy firms and multinationals including AstraZeneca, BP and Glaxo Smith Kline.
Economic sense
Mr Livingstone said that London needs to show the rest of the country how recycling can work and he called on businesses in the capital to “close the loop”. “London Remade has the potential for transforming the way we live in the capital. What we have to demonstrate is that recycling can make economic sense for every firm. We have to set a standard that the rest of the UK can follow.” Mr Livingstone explained how London Remade is using its weight and money “to tip the balance in the market” and make it easier for companies and individuals to buy recycled products.
Hugh Carr Harris, chief executive of London Remade, said: “Only half of the issue is getting companies to sign up. We have to make this work. We are going to be judged on how many tonnes of recycled products are getting sold in London.”
As part of its green procurement work, London Remade has given Remarkable Pencils a 20,000 grant which could see recycled stationery items on sale in every high street. Remarkable makes a range of recycled materials including pencils and rulers from recycled vending cups and pencil cases and mouse mats from recycled tyres. The grant has enabled Remarkable to buy a state-of-the-art binding machines to bind the company's recycled notepads.
Without the machine, Remarkable could not produce the volume of stationery that it needs to obtain large stationery contracts with high street retailers. But the loan means that Remarkable can now make much higher volumes of recycled notepads and it is thought that Remarkable is now in a good position to secure stationery contracts with both WH Smith and Woolworths later this year.
For more information visit London Remade's website.
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