Smile Rescource Exchange Scoops Best Eco-Friendly Initiative 2013
MACROOM’S SMILE Resource Exchange has been named the winner of the Local Authority Members Association Award for ‘Best Eco-Friendly Initiative’ having best met the award criteria of encouraging environmental improvement, awareness and positive promotion within the community.
SMILE was recognised for making the business community more aware of eco-friendly procedures, such as the exchanging of resources in order to reduce waste going to landfill which enhances the resource efficiency of the business community.
SMILE was nominated for the award by Cork County Council who has recognised that in addition to saving money for businesses on their costs, the initiative is reducing waste going to landfill and encouraging a more resource efficient ethos amongst businesses in the community.
Neteworking
Potential exchanges are identified through networking events, an online exchange facility www.smileexchange.ie and a support team to assist throughout.
At these exchange events and through the website businesses can identify resources they would like to exchange such as reusable items, by-products and surplus products.
All resources offered are either free of charge or below market value. The service is available to businesses in the Clare, Cork, Dublin, Kerry and Limerick regions and membership is free.
Savings
SMILE Project Manager, Michelle Green said, “To win such a prestigious national award is a real honour, not only for the project partners and the SMILE team but also for the business members of SMILE who have gotten involved in the initiative.
SMILE Resource Exchange was piloted by Macroom-E, a dynamic community enterprise centre, dedicated to helping start up & growing businesses in the Lee Valley region, in 2010.
Since then SMILE has created over 1,900 potential exchanges between its business members with a further 500 connections made through the SMILE website.
From the resources presented at the SMILE events over 25,000 tonnes have the potential to be diverted from landfill raising a potential saving for the businesses involved of between €1.9m and €2.6m.
Membership is free and businesses can register at www.smileexchange.ie or call 026 20520 / 01 436 1864.
