How Small and Mid-Size Enterprises Can Benefit From Green Partnerships
Green partnerships might be the most overlooked growth strategy out there for small and mid-size enterprises.
And they are still widely overlooked.
When regulators, investors, and large corporates are honing in on industrial emissions with renewed scrutiny — SMEs collectively represent up to 60-70% of emissions worldwide — ignoring partnerships as a shortcut to green business credentials and meaningful emission reductions is frankly negligent.
But… it’s not just about being green.
Partnering with specialists to treat waste water on-site, recycle process water across multiple applications, and reduce overhead treatment costs can provide SMEs with access to financing, supply chain opportunities, and major savings that simply aren’t achievable alone.
Here’s what you need to know…
Table of Contents:
- Why Green Partnerships Make Sense For SMEs
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Design As An SME Partnership Opportunity
- The Tangible Business Benefits of Pursuing Sustainability Through Partnerships
- Choosing the Right Partner
- Maximizing Value From Your Green Partnership
Why Green Partnerships Make Sense For SMEs
Small and mid-size enterprises (under 250 staff) are caught in a bind.
They know they need to be better for the environment. They just don’t have the manpower or money to do it on their own.
Recruiting environmental specialists and building a standalone sustainability function is simply beyond the capabilities of most SMEs.
Enter green partnerships.
Suddenly, SMEs have access to external specialists who can treat wastewater efficiently, build them a brand-worthy sustainability story, and potentially share the costs and benefits of new on-site infrastructure.
SMEs get to outsource an entire function without sacrificing credibility or control. Specialist partners get access to clients that can fund their growth.
Both parties have a vested interest in making it work, which makes green partnerships a really powerful vehicle for SME growth.
If that’s not enough to pique your interest…
SMEs that publish sustainability reports are 1.5x more likely to secure financing than those that don’t, giving them a meaningful advantage when applying for funding.
And they are applying. Formal applications for sustainability-based SME financing have never been higher. Of SMEs that apply for sustainability finance, 72% are now receiving funding.
SMEs that don’t jump on the green partnership trend are going to miss out.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Design As An SME Partnership Opportunity
Here’s where the commercial opportunity lies for industrial SMEs.
Want a headache? Wastewater treatment plant design.
Had to manage one in the past? Even worse. And the good news is that you’re going to have to design one anyway. Environmental regulations are only getting tighter for industrial wastewater producers, meaning any SME that hasn’t faced it yet will sooner or later.
But don’t sweat. Partnering with specialists who do nothing else but help industrial clients handle their wastewater opens up new opportunities to monetise waste, reduce running costs, and find savings that genuinely aren’t achievable internally.
Say what?
Here’s an example. Chemical purchase price and energy consumption together account for around 65% of annual ops and maintenance costs at a wastewater plant.
That’s enormous. And because optimised wastewater treatment plant design reduces chemicals and energy usage significantly, partnering to share the investment allows an SME to cut O&M costs without shouldering the infrastructure investment alone.
The global picture looks just as promising too. Research by Colorado State University estimates that moving to low-carbon wastewater treatment infrastructure could save the US economy up to $15.6 billion over 40 years, while eliminating nearly 30 million metric tons of CO2 in the process.
Partnering to future-proof infrastructure is a big part of that story.
The Tangible Business Benefits of Pursuing Sustainability Through Partnerships
Saving the planet is nice.
But readers of this article are likely looking for cold, hard business benefits.
Here they are.
Partnering with a specialist to:
- Monetise waste
- Reduce chemical usage
- Benchmark sustainability metrics
Lowers costs.
Treatment plant design isn’t cheap. But a green partnership can spread the upfront capital investment across two businesses, meaning the individual cost to the SME is substantially lowered.
Access to expertise and tech that would otherwise be difficult to justify paying a full-time staff member for becomes part of the deal.
Win. Win.
Opens up supply chain opportunities.
This is a big one. More and more corporate procurement teams are assessing the sustainability credentials of their suppliers, with some industries requiring certification before suppliers will even be considered for tender.
Getting ahead of the curve by formalising a green partnership can satisfy even the strictest procurement standards.
Sets the SME apart as a leader who gets it.
Sustainability partnerships are great marketing copy, but they also send a clear signal to customers, workforce, and investors that the business knows what’s important.
People like working at places that look after the environment. Make it easy for prospective employees to find out how much the business cares by keeping green credentials front and center on the website.
Just don’t forget to back it up by taking action.
Bottom line? Sustainability and revenue are directly correlated.
Companies performing strongly against sustainability criteria were over twice as likely to report >10% revenue growth than their less ESG-compliant counterparts in a recent McKinsey study.
Choosing the Right Partner
Greener is always better, right?
Wrong.
Partnering with the wrong company can waste time, leak brand credibility, and open a business up to potential audit risk down the line. Working with a proven specialist in wastewater solutions can make all the difference when it comes to delivering real, measurable outcomes.
Instead, do the research and check these five things before committing:
- Sector experience. Regulations vary wildly across industry sectors. Make sure the wastewater treatment partner has experience implementing plant designs where the business operates.
- Project examples. Promising is easy. Anyone can talk a big game. Look for case studies and existing clients that demonstrate a proven track record.
- Commercial alignment. Does the partner get paid once, or do they have a mandate to keep costs low as well? Asking the right questions at the outset will avoid friction down the line.
- Expertise in wastewater treatment plant design. For industrial SMEs, partnering with environmental engineers who know wastewater from boilers to bioreactors is critical. If they don’t get wastewater, don’t partner.
- Support doesn’t end at project implementation. Too many firms will sign the deal, build the plant, and walk away. Make sure to partner with a firm that cares about success beyond implementation day.
Maximizing Value From Your Green Partnership
To recap: Green partnerships are a low-risk opportunity to drastically accelerate sustainability goals, save money on wastewater treatment costs, and access corporate supply chains that would otherwise be closed.
Specifically targeting wastewater treatment plant design and partnership opportunities can unlock savings that don’t stop at direct O&M cost savings. And while there are plenty of opportunistic players out there looking to pitch green partnerships to SMEs, taking the time to choose the right partner will pay dividends both during and long after the project implementation process.
So there you have it. Ready to partner for sustainability?
