Pictured: (l-r) Georgina Shanly, project executive at HEFF and Deborah Cairns, Green Achiever operations manager

Two Shrewsbury based consultancies have established a pilot project for local food and drink suppliers with the aim of identifying and establishing the necessary environmental accreditations to help their businesses grow.

Funded by The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Shrewsbury based E4environment is working with HEART of ENGLAND fine foods (HEFF) to research how improving a business's environmental awareness and credentials can positively impact on its overall performance. 

Using its environmental accreditation framework, the Green Achiever scheme, E4environment is working with HEFF members to recognise and reward their environmental good practices, enhance understanding of the regulatory framework specifically affecting them and provide the support to implement changes in order to further reduce their impact on the environment.

HEFF provides essential services to hundreds of small to medium-size forward-thinking food producers, retailers, food service providers and businesses ancillary to the food industry, helping them successfully compete in their respective market places.

Companies who participate will receive an environmental regulatory health check report and a star-rated bespoke declaration of environmental commitment, recognising current good environmental practice and outlining a 12-month programme of improvement actions. Normally costing £112 + VAT, participation in the pilot project is free of charge, including E4environment's consultancy fees, to a limited number of HEFF members. The Green Achiever membership applies for a full year.

Deborah Cairns, Green Achiever operations manager at E4environment, said: "We have had anecdotal feedback from our current Green Achiever members that being part of the Scheme has supported an overall improvement in their business performance. It is really good to be working with HEFF members to review how real green credentials can impact in the food and drinks sector also. With suppliers and customers both making increasing demands for producers to demonstrate their environmental credentials we are keen to ensure that HEFF members have access to a product that is effective and tailored for what they need. With support from the Marches LEP we are able to do this to the benefit of local businesses."

Georgina Shanly, project executive at HEFF, said: "The Green Achiever scheme is proving a great success with our food and drink producers as it gives accreditation to those who are implementing environmentally friendly practices. More and more customers and retailers are demanding environmentally conscious products so we are delighted to be working with E4environment to deliver this project. HEFF operate a third party audit for its members called the HEFF hygiene and food safety standard to ensure that its members are producing food and drink to high quality standards in order to meet the needs of buyers from retail, foodservice and wholesale business as well as customers. The Green Achiever scheme is a perfect partner to the HEFF Standard allowing producers to be recognised for their environmental achievements."

HEFF members interested in registering for the pilot project can contact either Georgina Shanly at HEFF or Deborah Cairns at E4environment.