THE East of England could boost its economy by £229million if it made more efficient use of its resources, a regional waste summit was told.Work by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) suggests the regional economy is suffering as a result of poor resource efficiency and it is calling upon businesses to take action.

THE East of England could boost its economy by £229million if it made more efficient use of its resources, a regional waste summit was told.

Work by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) suggests the regional economy is suffering as a result of poor resource efficiency and it is calling upon businesses to take action.

At the same time, measures would reduce the region's carbon footprint which would have a direct impact on climate change, it argues.

EEDA board member Will Pope told businesses, organisations and partners across the region that they had “a critical role” to play in improving efficiency as he addressed the East of England Waste Summit, held on Tuesday at the Millennium Conference Centre, Newmarket race course.

“Businesses can't afford to do nothing,” he said.

“They have a critical role to play in helping to move the region's sustainability forward. Work by EEDA has suggested that our region's economy could be boosted by £229million per year through the improved use of resources by businesses in the region.

“Waste is a by-product of poor resource efficiency - attitudes regarding waste must change in order for businesses to remain competitive.”

EEDA is supporting a number of initiatives and programmes aimed at making businesses more efficient.

Among these is the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme funding, which it is delivering in the region. Through this, it is supporting projects which champion the commercialisation of new sustainable technologies and support the development of the region's renewable energy sector.

It is also working with the newly-formed Business Link East to ensure advisers have the appropriate knowledge and expertise to direct businesses to the relevant services on waste and resource management.

“In today's global economy, cost pressures on businesses are very real and we must therefore focus on how we can reduce their environmental impact at the lowest possible cost,” said Mr Pope.

“If we fail to do this, we run the risk of simply exporting our economy to less environmentally-award countries.

“The initiatives supported by EEDA recognise this and aim to help businesses improve resource efficiency in the most cost-effective way.”