Welcome to the latest edition of our South and Vale Business Support newsletter!

As part of their commitments to help the districts become carbon neutral,  South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have struck up a partnership to help local businesses reduce their carbon footprint.

As Strategic Partners, the councils are working with Oxfordshire Greentech to provide opportunities for South and Vale based businesses to:
  • connect with specialist suppliers
  • access new funding streams 
  • join specialist networking events
  • become more environmentally sustainable
A key element of the partnership will include delivery of several free events aimed at helping businesses to reduce waste, recycle more, and adopt beneficial business practices.

We currently have two upcoming events that are open for registrations. Read on to find out more.

What are circular business models, and how can you use them to your advantage?

Circular business models can create more value for your business and a better experience for your customers. The idea is that you keep your products in use for as long as possible, either by giving them a longer life by either ensuring they have multiple users, or by hiring, leasing, and sharing.

Furniture retail giant IKEA has implemented a circular business model by launching a buy-back and re-sale scheme to reduce the number of products going to landfill. The company is offering customers vouchers to spend in-store in return for their unwanted furniture, creating value for the company whilst also reducing waste.

Adidas have also taken advantage of the circular economy by creating a rental service, allowing customers to borrow their products at a fraction of the price of purchasing them.

Together, with fellow Oxfordshire Greentech members QSA Partners, we’ll explore recent examples and take you through the first steps of implementing circular business models in your own business.

Date and time:
Wednesday 16 June
10:00 - 12:00


Topics include:

  • Why are circular business models important?

  • What is a circular business model? How they work & some examples

  • How can my business create a circular business model? The steps and main factors in the process

  • Practical exercise in getting started: Identifying new values
With massive resource use and pollution production, can construction ever be sustainable?

Construction is the cause of 50% of the world’s green house gas emissions, 23% of global air pollution and 50% of landfill waste. With issues around the energy use, material choice and waste created in construction itself and the emissions arising from the operational use of buildings and homes, there is an urgent need for new construction practices that don’t cost the earth.

Join Oxfordshire Greentech and Cambridge Cleantech, in association with Constructing Excellence Oxford Club and South and Vale Business Support, to hear about the current situation and future prospects of sustainable construction.

Date and time:
Wednesday 14 July
12:30 - 14:00

Annabel Gould, Associate Director of Faithful+Gould, will present on behalf of Constructing Excellence Oxford Club.

Ian Pritchett of Greencore Construction will speak about their One Planet Living Global Leader developments.

Ed Hayden of Scott Brownrigg, an international built environment design practice, will be telling us about how they managed to increase biodiversity in the stunning new HQ building for CABI International in Wallingford.

Find out how modular eco-buildings can be a solution for construction in many settings from Jonathan Finnerty of Green Unit, based in Culham.

 

Find out more by reading the Business and Innovation Strategy Action Plans 
on our SVBS website.

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