Record number of SMEs are prioritising sustainability

A record number of UK small businesses are placing sustainability at the heart of their business models, attracting new customers and driving growth.

From sustainable skincare products to high-tech electric race-karts, small businesses across the country are making changes to lower their carbon footprint, increase consumer confidence, choice and value for money and help meet the UK’s target of becoming net zero by 2050.

As the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses make up 99 per cent of the UK’s enterprises, employ 61 per cent of the UK workforce and generate £2.3trl of revenue to the economy, small businesses can make a huge impact on the collective carbon footprint as the same time as future-proofing their business.

Small Business Minister Paul Scully said: “Thanks to the fantastic entrepreneurial spirit of UK business leaders from Penzance to Portree, we’re not only confronting environmental challenges but also making the most of the opportunities that green business presents.

“It’s truly inspiring to see the UK’s small business community stepping up to meet global challenges and I urge everyone to get behind their local businesses this season.”

Examples of such businesses include the Wirral-based juice dispenser producer, generationJuice. The firm is providing staff across sectors with hydration, helping people ditch single-use plastic for glasses, reusable bottles or compostable cups.

generationJuice distributes its juice dispensers to hotels, schools, restaurants, and offices and are making a real difference, for example, saving 3.6 million plastic bottles from being thrown away in secondary schools while cutting costs.

In addition, London’s Toast Ale is tackling food waste. With food production labelled as the biggest contributor to climate change, Toast Ale launched their business in pursuit of creating planet-saving beer by brewing their drinks with surplus fresh bread from bakeries, saving over 4 tonnes of bread from being wasted.

These are just a few of the thousands of small businesses in the UK who have signed up to the UK government’s UK Business Climate Hub, launched in June 2021 to encourage small businesses to go green. So far, the campaign has helped drive 2,566 sign-ups to the UK Business Climate Hub website.

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