Smile Resource Exchange is the delighted recipient of the Local Authority Members Association Award for ‘Best Eco-Friendly Initiative’ having best met the award criteria of encouraging environmental improvement, awareness and positive promotion within the community. SMILE was recognised for making the business community more aware of eco-friendly procedures, such as the exchanging of resources in order to reduce waste going to landfill which enhances the resource efficiency of the business community.
SMILE Resource Exchange was nominated by Cork County Council, which has recognised that in addition to saving money for businesses on their costs, the initiative is reducing waste going to landfill and encouraging a more resource efficient ethos amongst businesses in the community. Potential exchanges are identified through networking events, an online exchange facility (www.smileexchange.ie) and a support team to assist throughout.
At these exchange events and through the website businesses can identify resources they would like to exchange such as reusable items, by-products and surplus products. All resources offered are either free of charge or below market value. The service is available to businesses in the Clare, Cork, Dublin, Kerry and Limerick regions and membership is free.
First held in 2006, the LAMA Awards were created to recognise innovative local and national projects in the areas of infrastructure, community development, recreation and social and environmental impact initiatives.
SMILE Project Manager, Michelle Green says: “To win such a prestigious national award is a real honour, not only for the project partners and the SMILE team but also for the business members of SMILE who have gotten involved in the initiative. We have grown steadily over the past three years and now operate in Cork, Limerick, Clare, Kerry and Dublin. Receiving the LAMA Award for Best Eco-Friendly Initiative strengthens our position as a valuable support for businesses to become pioneers of a more environmentally friendly and sustainable business future.”
Since its inception in 2010, SMILE Resource Exchange has created over 1,900 potential exchanges between its business members with a further 500 connections made through the SMILE website. From the resources presented at the SMILE events over 25,000 tonnes have the potential to be diverted from landfill raising a potential saving for the businesses involved of between Eur1.9 million and Eur2.6 million.
Membership is free and businesses can register at http://www.smileexchange.ie or call (026) 20520 / (01) 436 1864. SMILE Resource Exchange is project managed by Macroom E and is funded through a partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), County & City Enterprise Boards and Local Authorities in Cork, Limerick, Clare and Kerry and Dublin.
CAPTION:
Michelle Green, SMILE; Maeve Bowen, Macroom E; Paddy Belton; Councilor Barbara Murray, Cork County Council; Councilor Hugh McElveney,