Dealing with these issues as a whole is often refered to as eco-efficiency and looks at the life cycle of products and services. Resource Efficiency aims to reduce the demand and the costs for energy, water, and materials. The results are monetary savings, reduced environmental impact, and conservation of resources.

Resource Use
Being efficient with resources (energy, water, raw materials, labour and time) saves money. By being resource efficient a business can get more from its materials and energy, create less waste and so reduce environmental impacts and improve profits. The UK Environment Agency sets out key issues in their position statement.

Material use
Check out the Cornell University Sustainable Campus on how to reduce, re-use and recycle food.

Waste minimisation
Efficient use of materials goes hand in hand with waste minimisation - everything you throw away has been a resource you have paid for. The real cost of your waste is not just the cost of disposal - but the value of it. The true cost of waste is said to be 5-20 times the cost of disposal, this includes the purchase cost of materials, handling/processing, time, lost revenue and any potential liabilities.The production and disposal of waste can cost a business up to 2% of turnover, a cost that can be reduced through waste minimisation initiatives.

Check out whether you are affected by waste legislation arising from EU Waste Directive. Arising from the EU Waste Framework Directive, new controls on farms will apply. They will be subject to the Hazardous Waste regulations for contaminated containers, and farms can neither bury nor incinerate waste....More from DEFRA

WRAP says Food Waste is Environmental Sleeping Giant

Love Food Hate Waste

Non-household Food Waste

Packaging Check out FSA Guidance on Packaging, and Welsh Assembly for Packaging responsibilities Check out whether new regulations for Packaging, Batteries, Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) affect you. Many retailers are turning to biopolymers (plant based plastics). Biopolymers Packaging - Good or bad? WRAP statement

Water conservation

"Water is a precious natural resource and its sustainable management is essential to protect the water environment and to meet current and future demand" More from DEFRA

Energy use
Electric items such as fridges, microwaves, kettles are now labelled with their energy efficiency and environmental ratings. Click for Details of labels. Extending the life of equipment by repair and refurbishment should always be considered as a viable option, this saves disposal costs. Follow Energy Efficiency within this guide for more.