20th May 2010: Dawn Meats  in Ballyhauis Mayo  is one of 15 companies to have secured funding from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Cleaner Greener Production Programme (CGPP) this year.

The long-term aim of the Cleaner Greener Production Programme is to ensure that cleaner greener production and eco-efficiency become the established norm in Ireland. The EPA hope that other businesses will learn from past success stories and that they will work towards the CGPP’s tagline objective: Better Business in a Better Ireland.

This is the fourth phase of EPA funding for companies that improve business practices and establish eco-efficiency.  These firms produce goods and services in more environmentally friendly ways, and minimize their emissions through cleaner production methods. The objective is to achieve a balance between economic activity and protection of the environment, across various sectors, such as manufacturing, food processing, IT, services etc.

Mr Micheál O Cinnéide, EPA Director said:
“The EPA is pleased to fund projects with a range of Irish businesses through the Cleaner Greener Production Programme. The EPA has supported cleaner greener business practices since 1997 and is committed to the development of a Smart Green Economy for Ireland.  The CGPP programme is a competitive and successful programme and was highlighted as an Exemplar Programme in a recent European Commission review of Eco-Innovation. There are many economic opportunities for Ireland in becoming a low-carbon and greener economy. Alongside other Sate agencies, the EPA will continue to encourage the business sector to move towards cleaner greener production.” 

On May 20th 2010, 15 Irish companies that are participating in the EPAs’ Cleaner Greener Production Programme Phase 4 (CGPP), came together in Tullamore to a network workshop to share research, ideas and products into new cleaner greener business practices which reduce costs, protect the environment and improve bottom lines.

EPA CGPP Programme Coordinator, Lisa Sheils said:
“The facts would appear to speak for themselves, the combined savings among the successful projects has already been tremendous and yet we are only half way through the programme.”

To date, they have recorded the following significant improvements:

• €620,000 cost saving per annum to date
• 1900 m3 of water per annum
• 420 tonnes of general waste diverted from landfill
• Preventative waste arisings 728 tonnes paper/card board and 51 tonnes of plastic
• 266 tonnes of CO2 emissions reductions
• Significant reduction in transport costs

A final report on the CGPP 4 projects will be released in 2011.