Tidy Business Awards will be given to 70 local businesses

Seventy local businesses will receive gold, silver or bronze certificates on Friday for their sterling work in managing their waste.

The Tidy Business Awards will be given to businesses which have achieved environmental excellence; by reducing, reusing and recycling materials and protecting the visual appearance of the immediate local environment around their premises.

Shetland Islands Council, in partnership with the Carbon Trust, is also holding a free carbon coaching workshop designed to help small to medium businesses understand their energy use and draw up individual carbon management plans.

Registration for the event, which is free, begins at 9am. The workshops will run from 9.30am to 1pm with the award ceremony taking place at 12.15pm.  A networking lunch will follow in the museum.

The workshop will help to identify cost savings on utility bills through the use of online energy management tools and assist local businesses in drawing up energy action plans and examining spend to save options.

Councillor Jim Henry said he was keen that as many local businesses as possible took advantage of the free workshop.

Mr Henry said: “I would encourage Shetland businesses to register with the event and expand their already good environmental practice. Energy costs are a problem for all businesses and free support such as this to reduce their overheads can only be of benefit to all.”

Any business wishing further advice on waste or environmental management issues can meet with local authority staff from 2pm.

To register for a place at the event email carboncoaching@smarts.co.uk or call 0141 222 2040 and speak to Kirsten Blackie. For advice on the Tidy Business Awards contact the SIC environment and energy services on (01595) 744800.