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Case Study: Codbod

Preventing waste, supporting innovation

“Working with Zero Waste Scotland has been of great benefit to Codbod. It has allowed us to engage with companies that want to gain control over environmental data and provide updates for customers and other stakeholders. The valuable insights gained into the needs of our customers has helped to shape the Codbod service.

”Dr Michael Groves, Codbod co-founder

Funding new ideas through the Waste Prevention Innovation Fund

Codbod is a cloud-based environmental management service. Its core business is an online management and reporting system designed for use by SME management teams to address sustainability in their business by improving the efficiency of their environmental management systems, analysing data and reporting on performance, all with the benefit of saving money.

The company wanted to market test the Codbod technology before it was rolled out in Scotland. Zero Waste Scotland helped fund a pilot with seven Scottish companies from the key sectors of food and drink, distribution, hospitality, manufacturing and logistics. The findings from the pilot clarified the environmental reporting issues and data requirements for SMEs, enabling Codbod to fine tune its technology prior to roll-out.

Running the pilotThe pilot ran in three stages: identifying data; inputting data; and reporting on the system’s functionality. At the outset, each company had a dedicated Codbod consultancy partner who helped to identify the available monitoring environmental data. Site visits then helped to identify specific areas of high environmental impacts. The available data and environmental impacts were then loaded into

the Codbod system. Companies were able to log in to the system to update data, change variables and test functionality. Follow-up sessions then allowed companies to report back on the system’s usefulness and functionality.

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“We are really happy to be pioneering Codbod. We can clearly see the potential to map all of our environmental impacts, manage all of our data and provide point-in-time reports on key sustainability metrics.

”James Macsween, Joint Managing Director of leading haggis manufacturer, Macsween of Edinburgh

Case StudyPreventing waste, supporting innovation

Why the pilot was invaluable to Codbod and the companies involvedFor Codbod, the pilot enabled the company to fine tune the service by:

• identifying environmental cost, compliance and monitoring challenges facing SMEs;

• understanding the pressure faced by SMEs to report on environmental performance; and

• assessing the need for systematic data management and reporting, and how this would work in practice.

The pilot confirmed that, on the whole, all companies had taken steps to identify and measure environmental impacts, but limited resources constrained their ability to measure and identify cost savings over time.

The companies involved in the pilot acknowledged that, although inputting data

initially required time and resources, it could save management time by:

• having a single access point for data;

• providing the ability to monitor environmental and cost performance;

• identifying trends; and

• enabling an instant response to information requests (internally or externally).

The pilot made it clear that SMEs needed a simple-to-use, low-cost solution that was flexible and accommodated a variety of needs, including internal and external reporting. Codbod was a possible solution.

Impact of pilot on end usersFollowing the pilot, Smith Anderson, the UK’s largest integrated paper bag manufacturer based in Fife, has purchased a licence to use Codbod.

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“As a significant user of inks and adhesives, we recognise the benefit of maximum resource efficiency. In order to support long-term improvements, we are deploying Codbod as a means to enhance the view inside our business and our approach to environmental management.

”Michael Longstaffe, Chief Executive, Smith Anderson

Help is at handZero Waste Scotland is a programme delivered by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), the UK waste prevention

experts, for the Scottish Government. It helps individuals, businesses and local authorities reduce waste, recycle more and use resources sustainably.

Case StudyPreventing waste, supporting innovation