Environmental Practice Toolkit: Eco-Audit™

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ECO - AUDIT

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this activity, you should be able to

Carry out an eco audit
Describe your organisation's current environmental performance
Benchmark your organisation

Assessment Criteria
To demonstrate competence, you should have
· An eco-audit
· Benchmark Measure
· Description of environmental performance

Task 1:

Carry out the plant marking exercise below.
Tick box which fits your workplace best for each criterion.

ECO AUDIT

	Score	1 Nothing	2 Aware	3 Practice	4 Advanced	5 Full Marks
1	Paper	No recycling	Some bins for paper	Bins for different waste - misused	Full recycling scheme operating	Purchase policy - Dioxin free Sustainable Forests
2	Are there any waste skips	What skips?	Skips outside	Skips with segregated waste	Skips collected only when full	Collection by company committed to recycling
3	Heat Conversation	Nothing	Doors kept shut	Pipes Lagged	Plant monitored	Energy Management Team
4	Is Energy efficiently used	Don't know	Quarterly monitoring	Specific measuring and monitoring	Energy targets	Full Energy management programme
5	Air Contamination	Local Nuisance - smell, noise or dust	End of Pipe technologies fitted	E o P technologies kept clean	Attempts to reduce emissions	Full programme of Cleaner production
6	Water Conservation	Taps left dripping	Doggies in cisterns	Controlled flushes	Each dept with meters	Targets set for water reduction
7	Do you prevent water contamination	Prosecuted in last year	Comply with legislation	Drains and pipes properly marked	Kits, bunds and procedures in place	Everybody trained in all emergency procedures
8	Land	Litter	Litter bins used & emptied regularly	Some attempt to improve site	Landscaped	Wildlife encouraged
9	Lighting	Lights left on	Notices & requests	People do switch lights off	Timed light switches	Targets set and achieved
10	Food	No food provided	Machines	Canteen	"Home" cooking	Local & Organic food
11	Is there a transport policy	No	Less mileage allowance for larger cars	Car sharing	Efficient route planning	transport Policy with alternative considerations
12	Who takes up environmental issues?	Nobody	Environmental Champions	Environmental Specialists	trade Union HS&E Reps	Whole workforce with environmental responsibilities defined.

Task 3

Compare your final score with each of these benchmarks:

15 - 20	Getting started
20 - 30	Becoming Aware
30 - 40	Starting to do something
40 - 50	Well on with Environmental Practice
50 - 60	Total Environmental Organisation

Task 4 Describe your workplace environmental performance, using the benchmark descriptions as a guide.

Allow 1 hour (maximum) to complete these actions.