Small business owners in the UK are becoming increasingly concerned about the environment, according to a YouGov survey, commissioned by NetRegs.

Nearly three quarters (74 percent) of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) polled believe good environmental practice is important to small businesses, and nearly four fifths (79 percent) know more about environmental issues than they did five years ago.

Respondents in the agricultural industry identified waste disposal as a real area of concern for the industry: more than four fifths (84 percent) see it as a problem and fewer than two thirds (62 percent) feel confident that they know enough about waste disposal.

However, when it comes to environmental regulations that affect their industry specifically, growers, farmers and agricultural businesses in general are better informed than many of their counterparts in other sectors. The survey found respondents working in agriculture are much more likely to be aware of environmental regulations that affect their business (78 percent) compared with those working in other industries - nearly two thirds (60 percent) in construction, fewer than half (45%) in manufacturing and just over a third (36 percent) of small businesses across all sectors.

The huge majority (86%) of small businesses across all sectors say it is important to comply with environmental regulations by disposing of waste in an environmentally friendly manner.

NetReg is urging farmers and horticultural businesses to discover more about their enviro-obligations. A Waste Directory on the website at www.netregs.gov.uk, provides details of local waste management sites, so users can be sure they are working with licensed operators. It also enables users to select recycling in preference to disposal facilities.

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