Specialist grant supports businesses with their eco journey

Businesses are well on the road to becoming more environmentally friendly after qualifying for an eco grant.

Specialist grant supports businesses with their eco journey

So far six businesses in the borough have been awarded up to £3,500 in total funding to help them on their eco journey and play their part in protecting the planet.

The high street ‘eco’ grant is a new addition to the latest wave of Pride in Our High Street revive and thrive funding grants announced in January.

It encourages businesses to adopt a ‘greener’ approach, and supports them with removing plastic from their product packaging and purchasing green gadgets to improve their sustainability.

Businesses who are already on the journey to becoming more eco savvy through the funding include Christine’s Florist and The Mall in Oakengates and Moonshine and Fuggles and Nettie of the Gorge florists in the Ironbridge Gorge.

Grants have also been awarded to Just William Cobblers in Newport and Boulton’s Butchers in Madeley.

The funding will support a variety of eco initiatives which businesses are already starting to implement.

Christine’s Florist has been handed a £493 eco grant to support the switch from cellophane wrapping to eco brown roll wrap.

Although cellophane wrapping is a third cheaper than brown eco paper this additional support will help owner Christine save money on her normal paper costs.

Christine has signed up for a three year brown paper delivery schedule, giving her time to build in small price increases to absorb these costs over the next three years and commit to being more eco-friendly.

A £500 grant will enable Oakengates Mall to install a new eco toilet on its upper floor.

The toilet will have a hand wash basin on top of the cistern and the water is recycled into the cistern saving valuable water.

As well as benefiting customers, the new facility will also help the owner of Rustic Chef on the top floor of The Mall who tragically lost his leg in an accident earlier this year.

Ironbridge artisan spirits specialist Moonshine and Fuggles in Ironbridge requested an eco grant to help reduce plastics both in store and online.  

The business has received £500 to help change to eco cardboard boxes for all online sales and paper bubble wrap as a replacement for traditional plastic wrap.  

In the shop itself, plans are in place to stop using plastic bags and make a complete switch to brown paper bags and brown bottle bags.  

With the new, eco-friendly packaging costs totalling £1,200 a year, the cash boost will help Mooshine and Fuggles to make the make the changes and build in small price increases to make them sustainable. 

Nettie of the Gorge florist in Ironbridge has been awarded a £445 grant to offer eco items that were previously out of reach cost wise.

Owner Lisa Kidd-Penny plans to use the cash to buy new eco products, such as eco message cards, and offer flowers in recyclable boxes for deliveries.

Newport cobblers Just William has successfully applied for a grant of £530 to make a change to its shop lighting.

The grant will help to replace old fluorescent tubular lighting with modern eco LED lighting panels making the business much more energy efficient.

Boulton’s Butchers has received a £500 boost to provide new eco packaging for meat products, including oven eco bags, and to support other eco-friendly measures.

The popular new butchers shop opened in Madeley in February and is now using paper carrier bags as an alternative to plastic bags which were used previously in their Little Dawley shop and were cheap but extremely bad for the environment.

Boulton’s have now made the switch to eco packaging and paper bags at both shops and have made a firm commitment to be as sustainable as possible.

Low energy LED bulbs and economical appliances have also been installed at both shops and Boulton’s only source fair trade and ethical products to sell.

Telford & Wrekin Council continues to invest in the Pride in Our High Street programme as part of its ‘On Your Side’ commitment to make Telford and Wrekin cleaner, greener, safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

Councillor Lee Carter (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, Regeneration and the High Street, said: “The eco grant is another positive step to support businesses on the high street.

“This special fund was launched in January and businesses are already benefiting from it by introducing a range of eco initiatives across the borough towns.

“The cash support is extremely valuable, particularly to small enterprises who want to play their part in protecting the planet and becoming more environmentally sustainable but don’t have the funds to introduce these new measures.

“This is one of our wider revive and thrive grants which aim to relieve the pressures facing high streets and support local businesses. We’re delighted that businesses are benefiting from the grant.”

The council’s climate change programme aims to support residents and businesses and progress aspirations for Telford and Wrekin borough to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Councillor Carolyn Healy (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and Cultural Services, said: “We want to encourage local businesses to become more sustainable and have a positive impact on sustainability across the borough.

“Many high street businesses are already looking at ways to reduce their carbon footprints and reduce costs.

“This grant is an excellent addition to the Pride in Our High Street revive and thrive funds and is supporting businesses with a range of eco measures including packaging, lighting and eco products.”

You can find out more about how to apply for an eco-grant, or other funding support for high street businesses here.




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