Attitudes Of Small And Medium Enterprises Toward Waste Management
A recent survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Envirowise. A number of important findings emerged regarding waste management services, awareness and usage amongst Small and Medium Enterprises in Great Britain.
The main findings of the survey are given below:
- Three quarters (75%) of SMEs consider waste reduction, to be an important issue.
- Two-fifths (41%) of SMEs state that they need practical help with regard to waste management.
- Approaching one fifth (17%) of SMEs say they have no idea where to turn for information.
- More than two fifths (42%) of SMEs state that they prefer to seek information on reducing waste on the internet.
Technical details
This survey was telephone-based interviewing among 751 SMEs (excluding micro companies) across the United Kingdom. Interviews were conducted over the telephone using CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing). Employees of SMEs from amongst ten sectors (Commerce, Construction, Engineering and Foundries, Electronics, Food and Drink, Metal Finishing, Publishing, Printing, Retail and Speciality Chemicals) were interviewed. Respondents were typically CEOs/chairmen, directors and general managers. The fieldwork for this survey took place from 27 March to 21 April 2006.
Topline Results
Q1 I am going to read out some statements and would like you to tell me whether you agree or disagree with each.
| Strongly Agree | Tend to Agree | Neither Agree nor disagree | Tend to Disagree | Strongly Disagree | No Opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Waste minimisation initiatives are of little benefit to my organisation | 12 | 26 | 11 | 27 | 24 | 1 |
| My organisation will need practical help to meet its waste minimisation responsibilities | 14 | 27 | 11 | 28 | 18 | 2 |
| Dealing with environmental matters is a significant cost to my organisation | 21 | 26 | 11 | 25 | 13 | 2 |
Q2 How much, if anything, would you say you personally know about the issues of waste minimisation?
| % | |
|---|---|
| A Great Deal | 11 |
| A Fair Amount | 47 |
| Not Very Much | 38 |
| Nothing At All | 4 |
| Don't know | - |
Q3 Thinking about where you might turn for help on waste minimisation if the need arose, please tell me the first organisation your company would turn to for practical ways to minimise waste?
Q4 And what other organisations, if any, would you turn to?
Q5 If you have already sought help or advice from an organisation on waste minimisation, please tell me which one/s.
| Q3 First organisation | Q4 Other organisations | Q5 Sought help or advice from an organisation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | |
| British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Carbon Trust | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Confederation of British Industry (CBI) | - | - | - |
| Countryside Agency | - | - | - |
| DEFRA | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| DTI | - | 1 | 1 |
| Environment Agency | 14 | 10 | 9 |
| Environmental / Not for profit organisation / charity / NGO | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Environmental company/ consultancy | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Envirowise | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) | - | 1 | - |
| Institute of Directors (IoD) | - | 0 | - |
| Local Authority / Council | 19 | 11 | 8 |
| Trade / Industry Associations | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Waste contractor / supplier / sub-contractor (e.g. Onyx, Biffa) | 13 | 7 | 10 |
| Internet (nsp) | 1 | 1 | - |
| Business Link | 1 | 1 | - |
| Head office/In-house | 2 | 0 | - |
| Suppliers | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Groundworks | - | - | - |
| Private consultant / Advisor | 1 | - | 1 |
| British Safety Council | - | - | - |
| HSE | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Government websites | 1 | - | - |
| Other | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| We would not turn to any / None | 6 | 37 | 39 |
| Don't know | 17 | 14 | 20 |
Q6 From where, if at all, do you currently find out information on waste minimisation / Envirowise
Q7 From where, if anywhere, would you prefer to find out information about waste minimisation / Envirowise?
| Current | Prefer | |
|---|---|---|
| % | % | |
| Trade Magazines | 13 | 12 |
| National Press / Media | 4 | 4 |
| From colleagues / other people in my field or work | 4 | 3 |
| Trade / Industry bodies | 6 | 6 |
| Environmental Charities / NGOs | 2 | 2 |
| Government Departments | 4 | 4 |
| Local Authorities | 11 | 12 |
| From marketing | 1 | 1 |
| From Envirowise Brochures | 7 | 10 |
| Web Sites / Internet | 25 | 42 |
| Conferences / Seminars | 2 | 1 |
| Head office / In-house | 2 | 1 |
| Direct Mail | 1 | 2 |
| Suppliers / manufacturers | 1 | - |
| Newsletters / literature | 1 | - |
| E-mails | 1 | 1 |
| Other | 6 | 2 |
| Don't know | 1 | 3 |
| Nowhere / Not Interested | 31 | 16 |
